


Deep Blue Sea.

by LadyMuzzMuzz



Series: Deep Blue Sea [1]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Angst, F/M, Has absolutely nothing to do with canon., Merfolk AU, Mutual Pining, Parents who love their daughter but do not get along, Uncomfortable Parental Expectations, Uncomfortable implications that will be resolved.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:07:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 38,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22467595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyMuzzMuzz/pseuds/LadyMuzzMuzz
Summary: You've always been fascinated about the ocean, but unlike your father, you love the ocean for what it contains, not for what you can take out of it.
Relationships: Vergil (Devil May Cry)/Reader
Series: Deep Blue Sea [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1737409
Comments: 381
Kudos: 356





	1. Ebb and Flow

**Author's Note:**

> So, instead of continuing my Spardaverse work, my brain suggested that I write this multi chapter fic. Don't worry though, I do have three of the six chapters finished and lined up for next week. And I will endeavour to work on the remaining three. For now, a taste of what's to come for this story.

Salt water spray sprinkled all over you as you gripped the railing. The winds were fierce, the waves were high, and you were having the time of your life. Sure, your dad was a bit hesitant of taking the yacht out when the weather so fidgety, but could he ever resist the charms of his little precious girl, especially on her eighth birthday? So, after some lip wibbling, he'd caved and now you were cruising the choppy waters.

You could say that instead of blood, you had seawater running through your veins. Your great- grandfather was a a humble fisherman, your grandfather had built up a fleet, and your father had inherited and grown the fishing business to an international empire. At any one time, he had ships off the coast of Argentina, near the shores of South Africa, dodging icebergs in the Antarctic, and casting out near Newfoundland. Which led to your family being very, very wealthy. Of course, you didn't know it at the time, being just a child, you just thought that every child could go on their own boat on their birthday. That being said, while your dad told you that one day you would take over, you didn't seem to find the idea appealing. You loved the sea for what it was, not for what you could take out of it. Your father just chuckled and said you would understand better when you were older.

“Sweetheart, make sure your life jacket is on tight!” you heard your father yell over the waves, as he wrangled the ship's wheel.

“Yes dad!” You yelled back, and rolled your eyes. You hated wearing the thing, it always restricted your movement. So despite what you just said, you had already undone some of the straps. Besides, you were the best swimmer in your swimming class, you could handle anything. You ran across the deck, and when you got the railing, you spread your arms out, like that picture from that movie you mom wouldn't let you watch 'until you were older'. The waves were tall, tipped with white and you imagined you were on a little toy boat in a giant's bathtub. The winds whistled sharply past you, carrying sea birds with them. You followed them as they flew off to horizon, but then your eyes were distracted.

  
At first you thought the flash of brilliant blue was a trick of the light, but then a glare of red... and the pale colour of skin, and silvery-white. Placing your hand up to block the glare, you squinted to see, it wasn't trash, or a boat, or a really colourful bird. It was one...no two... people swimming in the ocean. And on further inspection, you could barely make out they were....kids? That was weird, there were no other boats in sight, and you were miles from shore, how did they get there?

You waved and shouted “Hey!”, and even though they were far away, and you were certain your voice had been drowned out by the sound of the waves and wind, they stopped what they were doing, and you could have sworn they were staring at you. Perhaps they were in trouble?  
You waved again, now with both hands out, but at the exact worst moment. One of the swells, much larger than the other, hit the starboard bow with the force of car, smashing into you, and before you could grab the railing, you were swept off the deck. All around you was a mass of water, pummeling you this way and that, and without warning, the only remaining snap on your lifejacket undid itself, and your lifeline to the surface was washed away.

You flailed like a ragdoll, a slave to a frenzy of currents, unable to figure out which way was up to air and safety, and which led down to death. Your lungs burned as they demanded more oxygen, but you were unable to comply, as you tumbled around like some clown at the circus.

Eventually, after a half minute, your arms became heavy and tired, so you stopped struggling against the inevitable, and went completely slack. Your eyesight began to fade, your hearing... wait, were there voices?

“ _HEY! ARE YOU OKAY?”_

“ _She can't answer underwater, you idiot, we need her to get to the surface right now.”_

“ _But what if they see us?”_

“ _She'll die if she stays down here, we have to take the chance”_

You felt the tug a pair, no two pairs of hands around your waist, and you were suddenly jerked in an unexpected direction. Suddenly, the pressure of the water on your face dissipated, and you could hear clearly again. You gulped air, attempting to cram the entire world's atmosphere into your aching lungs. You were still disoriented, cold and wet, but you were aware of three things, the sky had become darker and more threatening, the waves were higher and rougher...

.... and you were protected by the brunt of it by two figures that you clutched for dear life.

“The boat's too far away! She'll never be able to swim to it, even if there wasn't a storm!” You were vaguely aware of red scales that glittered like rubies, even in the ever diminishing light.

“We have to get her somewhere solid, somewhere she can hold onto until it passes, the humans don't start looking for them until the storm ends” A shimmer of iridecent blue scales flickered in and out of your sight.

“Well there's the shore...”

“Too far away, and we might be seen”

“Lookout Rock isn't far, but she won't be able hold on, not in this weather!”

“It's her only chance, let's go.”

You felt yourself being... dragged through the water, with the figures (they couldn't be much bigger than you, were they children?) attempting to keep your a head above the waters, but every so often a wave would envelope you, dragging you back under for a few terrifying moments.

“Sorry!” the one in red called out after a particularly large wave. The one in blue remained silent as he lifted you above the crest of yet another wave. You tried to doggy paddle, to help, but you were so tired.

Finally, your fingertips touched barnacle covered rock, and you gripped onto the rock with all your remaining strength.  
“Up” a voice ordered, and you struggled to comply, but you were just so tired, and it took everything to just hold on to the slick algae covered portions. You heard an annoyed grunt as the one in blue pushed you up, and you heard the distinct sound of fish slapping against something solid. (you'd heard it a million times, when your father would take his business partners out deep see fishing fishing). Looking down, you saw brilliant blue fins... no, no it can't be right. From his waist down, the boy helping you was completely fishlike. But above, he looked like a normal kid, except with hair as white as sea foam. You were tired, and your eyes were playing tricks on you.

“You stay with her Verg, I'll go get help!”

“Wait! Dante! There's no one out there in th-” but the one with red (fins? Maybe you hit your head on a rock or something) dove back into the water.

“Idiot” he muttered, “I always have to chase after you, little brother...” and you felt him pull away. In a fit of panic, you whirled around and grabbed his retreating arm. You stared into his piercing grey eyes, and pleaded, barely more than a whisper.

“ _Please don't leave me”_  
  


And so, grumbling incoherently, he pressed back onto you, shielding you from the worst of the waves as the wind as you clung to the rock, and while he never spoke to you directly, you heard him say “Humans are so weak, it's a wonder you survive on land, let alone out here..” But you didn't mind, tired as you were. You felt safe and protected, calm, like in the eye of a hurricane, and as the wind died down, you eventually passed out.

*****

You awoke, bleary eyed in a warm, dry bed. What an intense dream! But... this wasn't your bed, your room, or even your house! You were much higher than your bed, and the beeping of machines was almost annoying as Timothy at school. Above you with smiles and tears on their faces were your mother and father. This made no sense. They both loved you, but as your dad had once said, they didn't love each other anymore. And they were never in the same room together if they could help it.

“Oh Sweetheart, you're awake!” your father sniffled as he held your hand.

“Dad?” you croaked, “What happened? Where am I”

Your mother stroked your cheek, “You fell off the boat, sweetiepie, and during a storm too.” she glared at your father “For shame Charles, what possessed you to take our daughter out in such weather, and without a proper life-jacket!?”

“Carolyn, I told you we would not discuss it in front of her, not right now...” your father growled back between clenched teeth. That uncomfortable tension from a few years back, before your mother moved out of your house had returned with a vengeance. You hated it.

“How...did I get here?” you asked, attempting to derail the argument. It worked, because both their faces softened.

“The coast guard found you, clinging to a rock a mile or so from where you fell off after the storm. How you managed to get there and stay on it in such terrible weather is a miracle”

You blinked, and wanted to argue that it wasn't just you, some merpeople had helped you...but then you bit your tongue. After all, merpeople didn't exist, except in movies and books.

You ruminations were cut short by the crinkle of paper, and the pressure of a wrapped box on your lap.

“Happy Belated Birthday, dear” your parents said in unison, for once agreeing on something.


	2. Steel Grey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They say good things happen in threes.... but you're only certain that one of them was good.

You attempted not to look too eager as you walked up the stairs to the stage as your name was called, to receive your diploma. Ten years of hard work, sleepless nights, typing up essays, studying, and research had finally paid off to reward you with your ultimate reward: a PhD in Marine Biology. Of course, you knew you had it easier than most, bankrolled by your wealthy father, you never needed to worry about going hungry and studying, or risking a fail mark in order to deliver pizzas or something.

But you couldn't help but feel proud, you'd finally done it! You'd been wanting to study Marine Biology since you were a little girl, especially when you found out that there were creatures that lived even in pitch darkness on the ocean floor. What amazing discoveries must be waiting for you down there! Of course, you were realistic in that you'd probably never be able be the crew member of ALVIN, or any of the other deep-sea-submersibles, but your assistance would be invaluable to understanding the farthest edges of earthly exploration.

You paused for a moment while the Dean handed you the parchment, and you stared out at the the crowd. The lights shining down on the stage made the audience completely invisible, but the flash of camera lights from a certain section was a good indication where your family and loved ones were. You posed and smiled for their cameras for a few moments, before getting off the stage, terrified you were going to trip on your long flowing robe. So you sat down and politely clapped as each of your fellow graduates had their moment in the spotlight.

After the ceremony, it didn't take long for you to find your guests sitting right where you guessed they were. Your parents, as per usual, were sitting as far as part as possible, but had remained civil to each other, so that was good. Between them sat Sarah, your best friend, and... Frederick, looking as dapper as always, yet nervous as hell. You'd met via your dad's business connections, he was the son of a wealthy fish processing company that your father did regular business with. You always sensed that both your and his parents were gently nudging you to be with each other. Fredrick (never Fred, always the full name) always seemed to be invited to gatherings that your mother or father arranged, and vice versa with his parents and you. So, eventually... you both started dating, much to the delight of everyone. He was pleasant enough, always a gentleman, but there was something missing...

“I'm so happy!” Your mother placed her hands on both of your cheeks and squeezed to an almost uncomfortable degree. “You've done it!”

“Now, now Carolyn, let the girl breathe, she's had a busy day today.” and your father pushed her aside (earning a slight scowl from his ex-wife) before enveloping you in a big hug. “You've made me a very proud father today. I know I can expect great things from you.” He pulled away and joked, “Now, you can work on that Bachelor's degree in Business.”

“Charles!”

“It was a joke, Carolyn”

“OHMYGAAWD! THIS IS AWESOME! Now you can tell people to address you as 'Doctor'!” Sarah screeched as she nearly bowled you over.

“Yes, because I spent a decade of my life just so I could get 'Dr.' on all my stationary,” you remarked dryly.

“Oh yeah, we better get on that. You could design a whole new template!” she replied, completely oblivious to your sarcasm. You loved her to bits, but sometimes... you wondered about her.

Fredrick pulled you away from her into a polite embrace and a chaste kiss. “I'm so happy for you, my dear. You've finally achieved your dream” his smile was sincere and you couldn't help yourself from pulling him closer to you. Having him near you made the rest of the bustle of the world dim slightly.

But of course, things like this could never last, as your father's voice intruded..

“As much as I'd like to stay here and celebrate, I've made reservations at Figaroni's in an hour. We should be able to beat the traffic and get there in time.” Semi-reluctantly, you separated from your boyfriend, and the five of you made your way out of the auditorium past the multitude of families of every shape and size, each celebrating the achievements of their loved ones.

*****

“Ever since I've known you, you've always been in love with with mermaids” Sarah said, standing up and regaling the table with an embarrassing tale disguised as a toast. This had to be her third drink, if the fact that the champagne sloshed a bit from side to side indicated anything. “Brittany was known as 'horse girl', Jessica was known as the 'Ballet girl',” and you,” she grinned, “you got the name of 'Mermaid girl' once Timothy got a hold of your note book, filled to the brim with mermaid drawings.”

She wasn't wrong, you'd had a lifelong fascination of anything mer-related since your childhood. Mermaid figurines, mermaid dolls, mermaid movies were things you were obsessed about Of course, everyone thought it was one of your endearing quirks. But no one knew the real cause of your fascination with them....and to be truthful, you weren't sure you were, either.

“That's not a bad thing!” she clarified “Because of that obsession, you've pushed yourself to greater, and greater heights, and now...” she dabbed her eyes with the linen napkin as she sniffled “I'm so happy I got to see your entire journey. A toast to your future, and I hope it will be 'fin-filling'!”

Polite 'Hear Hear's', and the clinking of glasses followed, and you took a tiny sip of the bubbly drink. In truth, you were ready to go home. Usually you preferred the solitude, only shared by close friends and family, and only for a limited amount of time. But this was an exception, and you would deal with it, just for tonight as you smiled politely at your guests. Your mother and father had been on their best behaviour, even if they were sitting on the opposite sides of the table, separated by Fredrick's parents. You weren't quite sure why they had been invited, but they had been polite guests, and provided the social lubricant to keep the friction down between your parents.

Fredrick's father slapped his son's back, “It's your turn, my boy.” he said with a sparkle in his eyes. Hesitatingly, Fredrick got up, and licked his lips “So, uh...I met you back at one of your mother's charity fundraising dinners, to be fair...I don't even remember what it was about. It really wasn't that important in hindsight it seems. But what I do remember was the moment I met you, and that gorgeous blue dress you wore. And how you were able to discuss topics about practically everything. When you said yes when I first asked you out, I thought I was the luckiest man in the world.... but..uh.. I think I was wrong...”

Your throat closed, and your eyes grew to the size of teacups as he got down on one knee. You could hear the sound of cell phone cameras being whipped out and pictures being snapped. Even the surrounding tables quieted down to observe you. You were beginning to understand why your father hadn't booked a private room, like he usually did for dinners out. He wanted the spectacle.

Fredrick pulled out a black velvet box and it opened it, revealing an obscenely large jewelled ring. You could barely see the gold underneath the beautiful assortment of light pink diamonds.

“Will you now...” he said, “make me the luckiest man in the world?”

You stared, your tongue caught in your throat. You felt the eyes of the table, the restaurant, the world on you...and you knew how you _should_ should answer, but did you really commit to this man for the rest of your life?

The air was pressing down on you as you struggled to answer. Any longer and it would get intolerably uncomfortable

“I... yes... of course... I'd .. love to...!”

And with that, the entire place burst out into cheers, and Fredrick pulled you into a passionate kiss. This was supposed to be the happiest time of your life so far....

_So why did it feel so wrong?_

*****

By the end of the meal, you were frankly exhausted, and you were happy that your father offered to drive you home, alone After saying farewells to your mother, friend, fiance and future in-laws, you made your way to your dad's car.

You were less than pleased to see a well dressed, yet unsavoury looking individual standing by the car door. Your father seemed more than delighted to see the man.

“Ah, Doctor, apologies for making you wait so long, it's been quite an eventful day.”

“None needed,” he smiled, a bit too widely for your comfort. He turned “By the way, congratulations on your impending nuptials” _Did everyone know about your engagement before you did?_

You politely shook his hand, as your dad made the introductions. “Sweetheart, this is Dr. Griffon, a marine biologist I've been doing business with. He's been highly helpful with the surprise I've been planning for you.”

Your eyebrows raised questioningly, you had known your father had been renovating (with your permission) your house the past few months as an upcoming present for your graduation, but why did he need the help of someone such as this doctor?

“You'll see very soon, and I think you'll love it..” your father murmured as he held the door open for you.

You all got into the black Mercedes-Benz E-class (your father had just recently purchased yet another one... the man loved buying luxury cars like you love mermaid themed stuff), with you in the front passenger seat, and the Doctor sat in the back.

As you drove off, your guest attempted to make some small talk with you, “So, what are you specializing in, my dear?”  
“I'm planning to study deep sea life, there's so much we don't know about down there,” you responded politely.

His hands clapped together in glee, “Oh good, a fellow lover of the quest for the unknown! You'll have a banquet laid out for you”

“And you, Dr. Griffon, what's your area of focus?” you asked, truthfully intrigued. The Marine Biology community, even worldwide, was rather small, and it amazed you that you'd never heard of this man. Hopefully your father wasn't being swindled about a con artist.

“Ah, I'm in a rather niche area of study, focused mainly on what the general population terms as 'Cryptos'. For example, creatures such as the Loch Ness monster, although I prefer the ocean based versions, as opposed to freshwater.” He looked at your obviously doubtful face, and smiled. “Ah, I've seen that look a thousand times, but trust me, you'll understand soon.” You wanted to ask more questions, but you resigned yourself to relaxing into the leather seats.

“I'm so proud of you today, sweetheart” your father spoke after a few minutes of silence.  
“Well, I've been wanting to do graduate into this field for so long, it feels like the end of a journey, and the start of new one...”

“Oh yes, that.. of course, getting your degree is wonderful and all, but I was talking about your engagement. Fredrick's a good match for you, and together I know you'll be able take over the business when I retire. In fact,” he said as he pulled onto the private driveway that led to the family estate.” I was thinking you could spend the next year just relaxing, no pressure. All you would need to do is focus learning the ropes on how to run the business, and...of course, preparing for the wedding. That's going to take a lot of work on your own, even with your mother constantly butting in.”

“Ah...I don't know, I was really hoping to start work, there's a lot of offers I have to sift through, and there's a research vessel of the coast of Puerto Rico I was hoping to join...”

“Sweetheart,” your father interrupted, as he pulled into your driveway. “I understand you're eager to put all your knowledge to good use, but you deserve a break, especially with all the upcoming excitement. Look, I'll pay for all your living expenses for the year, and after that,” he turned off the ignition, “You'll be able to focus on your profession, all refreshed”.

You sat there for a second, thinking of his offer, it was very generous, but... you had really wanted to start the journey about studying the newest discoveries on the sea floor... but your father's business, the thing he had carefully crafted to give to you...”  
“Alright,” acquiesced, and your father grinned as he ruffled your hair.

“Excellent, you've made your old man proud... now... for that surprise. I need you to close your eyes....”

You felt him lead you gently up the steps, heard him jangle the keys, and as you struggled to take off your high heels, (so thankful you didn't have to wear them for a while, your feet were killing you), he gripped your hands as he led you down the living room...  
“Alright, open your eyes.” and the sight that unfolded you took your breath away.

Replacing so much of your admittedly massive living room was an aquarium. No, an aquarium was an understatement. You'd have mistaken it for an Olympic sized swimming pool, if it weren't for the fact that there was glass panels allowing a full view of the water, as well as an assortment of fish, rocks, and coral. A miniature ocean habitat. You pressed yourself against the glass, your eyes darting this way and that.

“This...this is wonderful! Thank you so much, dad!” you embraced your father.

“Ah...” the Doctor butted in “All of this pales in contrast to the main attraction...although it doesn't seem to be friendly right now...” his eyes surveyed the scene, before his eyes lit up and he pointed to a craggy rock. “There it is... watching us from behind the rock.”

Your eyes followed his finger to the said mentioned rock, and your breath momentarily stopped. There, glaring at the three of you was a pair of piercing grey eyes... a human torso, connected to a dull grey fish tail.... _a real live merman._

“Is that...” you struggled to form a coherent sentence.

“It is indeed, one of the few ever documented, let alone captured alive, you are a very lucky woman” the Doctor crossed his arms, obviously proud of his achievement. “Your father's help in acquiring it will have my undying gratitude.”

“I'm just glad it's no longer a threat to my ships.” your father grumbled “nearly a dozen of the company's vessels damaged by it, and one sunk...” he paused and looked at the Doctor, very seriously. “You are certain it won't be a threat to my girl? It was extremely hostile to everyone so far”

“I assure you” Dr. Griffon smiled, “I've spent decades researching these creatures, I know how they can be controlled. It won't lay a finger on your daughter, if it knows what it's good for it.”

“Does he have a name?” you interjected, feeling uncomfortable at how this conversation was going.

“I've been calling it 'Angelo' as it is a rather ethereal creature... although in hindsight, Diablos would have been a better name. Until it was restrained, it was a fiendish creature...”

“He hasn't told you his name?” you asked, perplexed.

“My dear,” the Doctor said patronizingly, “It doesn't speak, they don't have the intelligence to, besides,” his hand tapped the thick glass. “Even if it could, you'd never be able to understand it. I do believe that they have some rudimentary form of communication, perhaps via colour change. When it was first captured, it's scales were a bright blue. Unfortunately, it seems to have gone a sickly off white, which I can't understand... his vitals are within normal range”

_He can talk, I know he can!_ You wanted to scream back at them, but you bit your tongue, preferring to remain polite and silent.

It didn't take a Marine Biologist to see that he was in some sort of emotional distress. The defensive posture, the way he attempted to hide, and the hate in his eyes. The hatred blazed out at your father, the Doctor, and even you. It was obvious to you, but neither of elder men seemed to notice anything. They saw 'it' as merely yet another fish, albeit an extremely rare one, one without any emotions, just the will to survive. As your father discussed... something, you kept your eyes locked on him. Had he been a human, going by his torso, he'd probably push six feet, but with the long flowing tail, he almost reached seven and a half. And despite your disdain for the doctor, he was correct, he _looked_ healthy, although the bags under his eyes might mean he'd been sleep deprived. Not that you could blame him. What emotional turmoil had he been going through, for ...how long? You'd heard rumours of an inordinate amount mechanical failures of the ships for the past few months, but you didn't recall when they stopped, so focused on putting the finishing touches on your thesis. To be treated like an animal for any length of time would be torture...this 'gift' seemed worse and worse the more you thought about it. And his eyes, they glared at you, but now they were tempered a little bit with... fear? The mere thought he might fear you made you sick to you stomach.

“Sweetheart, are you listening?” your father asked, oblivious to your emotions. “Dr. Griffon is giving you important information on how to take care of it.”

“Now now,” the slimy old man smiled “I can't say I blame her for being fascinated with it, she's the only person in the world to possess one. If I only had the resources.... but your father has assured me that I will be able to take examinations of it on it's monthly check-ups. For it's health, of course... we wouldn't want such a marvelous specimen to sicken and die. Now, if you both would be so kind and follow me, I've got a notebook full of information to help you take care of it, as well as when the filters need to be changed....”

******

You approached the aquarium glass again, alone at last. It was almost midnight, and both the men had finally left, leaving you with an enormous book of notes that reminded you of being a freshmen in university again.... You'd perused only the basics, feeding and water temperatures, you would focus on the specifics later on.

He hadn't moved an inch since you'd left him, still glaring at you. Although, you noticed the fear was gone... that was good, you'd rather him hate you than fear you.

“Hello,” you cautiously said, introducing your name, and his pale eyebrows moved minutely... so he could at least hear you, that was a good sign.

“I don't believe them at all, I know you're not stupid, you're able to understand what I'm saying, and even talk....” you paused, this was a delicate time, you couldn't push him too much, “I'm not going to ask you to talk if you don't want to...I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to. I just... I just want to make sure you're okay...like is the water too warm or too cold? Is it too salty, or not enough? Or food... what do you like to eat? I can try to get you whatever it is you want, and while it might not be as fresh as if you got it from your home...”

There was no response, but his glare had softened, just slightly. You were hopeful, that perhaps some dialogue could be established.... perhaps he had been more talkative prior to his captivity.

“I'm going to sleep right there,” you pointed to your living room couch, “If you need anything....don't hesitate to tap the glass, I'm a light sleeper.” you hesitated for a moment, “I don't want to be your jailer, I want what's best for you”

A swing and a miss, you realized as his gaze hardened...and you decided retreat was the best option now. There would always be tomorrow...and the next day... and the next day... _as long, and as much as it takes for you to learn to trust me..._

And as you drifted off to sleep on the plush couch, you could still feel his steel grey eyes watching you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit wordier than I expected, and we barely got to introduce the co-star at the end! Hopefully getting all that backstory out will be enough to get to the good stuff..... slow burn with mutual oblivious pining!


	3. First Taste

You awoke more refreshed than you thought you would, considering the previous day's events. You'd fallen into slumber much more quickly than expected, especially since you had been stared at the entire time.

Speaking of which, as you rubbed your eyes and yawned as you stood in front of the glass, he had moved. No longer was he glaring while hiding behind the furthest rock, he was now... glaring while hiding behind one of the closer ones. Ah well, progress was progress...

“Good Morning” you greeted him, “I'll get you something to eat in a few minutes...” He didn't bother responding, although that was not unexpected at all. You had hoped that he would have at least slept... wait, did merfolk even sleep in the conventional sense? Or did they just shut off parts of their brain, like some fish did? You'd have to check Dr. Griffon's notes.

You headed to the fridge to get out a bucket that looked remarkably like a commercial sized ice cream tub. But when you pulled off the lid, instead of the delicious scent of chocolate mint, it was a different, yet totally familiar. You'd smelled it since you first set sale on your father's yacht as a child.  
  


Kelp.

You quickly glanced at the page of the notes, written in a crisp, clinical penmanship, was the Doctor's notes on the basic care. _A half to three quarters of a kilogram a day of Macrocystis pyrifera_ _per day, as fresh as possible, spaced out over the course of the day._

Surely that wasn't it? You flipped the pages rapidly, attempting to find something... anything. But aside from that one simple instruction.... nothing.

The man had been subsisting on the same food day in and day out for God knows how long? Like some sort of animal at the zoo...no, an zoo animal would get more than one type of food... he was being fed like a lab rat. You gripped the kitchen counter so tightly, you thought you had left indentations of your fingernails on the marble surface. You were going to have a talk with the Doctor. Someday. Eventually.

You carefully weighed up a portion of the Giant Kelp, into a bowl...before pausing... Did merfolk even have flatware? Or did they eat straight from the kelp, like picking grapes? Or was it used in conjunction with other foods, like a salad? While it wasn't your area of expertise, you knew that Giant Kelp were quite healthy for humans to eat, full of nutrients... but still, you couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't enough for the man...

Either way, the bowl would have to do for the moment.

Climbing the stairs leading to a platform that was a few inches above the water's edge, you placed the bowl down, within reach, if he swam up.

“I got you some food...I don't know if this the way you eat it, or if you eat with other things...” you said hesitatingly, attempting to find him, although the surface refraction made seeing where he was impossible. No response yet again.

Your pocket buzzed, and you quickly got off the platform to answer the phone. Force of habit, you'd seen far too many of your fellow students suffer the catastrophe dropping their cell phones into the briny depths...

The number was unfamiliar, but you took a deep breath and accepted the call.

“Good morning dear” the oily voice on the other end was unmistakable. Out of the corner of your eye, you sensed movement. The merman had jerked, as if shocked by an electrical probe. Could he hear the voice? How acute was his hearing? So many unanswered questions.

“Good morning Doctor” you answered politely.

“I was just calling to make sure you and it were settling in fine.”

“Yes, yes... everything's going well, but I do have a question. I was looking at the the notes you left me, and other than kelp, there's no other options on what he needs to eat.”

“Kelp is all it needs” the term 'it' was starting to really grate on your nerves. “It's been fed a steady diet of kelp for the past three months, and it has been sufficient for its needs”

“But that can't be healthy...he needs a variety. If I ate nothing but chicken caesar salads for the rest of my life, I might get the nutrients I need, but I would driven crazy by it”

The doctor's voice, even with the phone's distortion, noticeably darkened “I must remind you, my dear, that you are thinking of it as a person...not as what it really is, an animal, a mere beast. Just throw the kelp in, and it will feed.”

You started to argue...before thinking better of it. If the Doctor felt that you weren't capable to see the merman as he did, there was a good chance he could convince your father it was too much for you to handle, and and take him back. And while this aquarium wasn't even close to being the real thing, you were certain it was a hell a lot better than what he had been in, prior. You couldn't risk him going back, so you bit your lip.

“I..I understand, Doctor. I just want to make sure he is...” you struggled to think of something that would convince him you thought the same way, (but you refused to refer to him as an 'it') “kept in the best condition.”

It seemed to work, for Griffon's voice lightened up “Of course you do...I would be happy to come over and show you anything you need to know, answer any further questions..”

“I'll be fine Doctor, I'll be able to figure this out...”

“Are you sure? I can alwa-”

“Oh look,” you said quickly, “My wedding planner is calling right now, I have to go. Goodbye!” You hit the end call button, before throwing the phone across the room in anger, where it bounced off an arm chair and onto the floor. If the screen cracked, you didn't really care at the moment.

“Pompous.... ignorant... DOUCHEBAG!” you yelled out, before bobbing in your head in mockery “He's not a person, he's an animal....” you imitated his annoying voice. “You got your head so stuck in your 'precious' research, it's stuck in your ass hole, _Doctor_....”

You were about to rant some more, maybe pick up a pillow to throw...when you finally remembered you weren't alone. He watched you, from the same position, but his glare had been replaced by...surprise?

You flushed, embarrassed by being caught in such an emotional state. It wasn't proper, that a woman of your stature should be having what was, admittedly, a temper tantrum.

“I'm, sorry... I shouldn't have acted out,” you balled your fists, “but... man, he really gets on my nerves...I'm not sure how anyone could tolerate him for any length of time. And you had to put up with his dehumanizing ass for months! Can't say I blame you for hating us all...” You distracted yourself from the urge to find something else to punch, by walking over and retrieving your (thankfully intact) phone.

“Look, I'll try to convince my father to let you go... to free you or something. It might take time, my father's stubborn like that, but if I can just get him to se-”

“ _You mock me”_

You started, looking around to find the source of the voice. It was weird, like you heard it, but not with your ears... it had a slight echo, but not from the room, more like it was bouncing around in your skull. It's quality sounded so familiar...like being underwater..

“Wait...that was you?”

“ _I was under the impression you knew I spoke, human.”_

You had been looking so forward to him actually speaking, that you hadn't really processed what he had said.

“I wasn't mocking you, I'm-”

“ _Your 'father'”_ the word was wrapped up with extra contempt _“would never consent to it, as he said before, I've caused far too much damage to his precious possessions to allow to swim free. He'd rather have me killed. And yet.....you continue to remind me of my captivity....”_

“But he lets you stay here with me, his only child.” you countered, “if you're sooo dangerous, you could have grabbed my arm a few minutes ago, and just dragged me in and held me down until I drowned,”

The man hesitated, and then slowly came out from his hiding place, fully revealing his full form to you. Pale, nearly white flesh melded seamlessly at his hips with nearly translucent scales with just enough iridescence to remind you of mother-of-pearl. His colour reminded you of the albino creatures on the sea floor. Perhaps he was from that area. But, his eyes.....his eyes were far too 'human'? If he lived in the depths, you'd expect bigger proportioned eyes, or none at all.. Oh God, you were analyzing him as if he was some sort new fish...

His 'voice' helped knock you out of your clinical observations... _“There are some things worse than death...or even imprisonment”_ He left whatever he meant unspoken.

“You haven't spoken to anyone while in captivity so far, so why speak to me?”

He seemed a bit taken aback by the question. His eyes, so intently focused on you, darted away for a moment. “ _They were not worth my time talking to”_

“You're dodging the question...why me?”

Another awkward pause. _“It seemed to be the only way to silence you, otherwise you would chatter until the oceans dried up”_

You chuckled at the turn of phrase as you scratched the back of your neck. “I guess I wanted you feel at home here... to feel at ease.”

 _"One could hardly feel at ease in this pale mockery of my 'home'. Although..”_ he paused, surveying the rocks and flowing _“it is a vast improvement over my previous residence”_

“Just a guess, but I'm going to assume a tub of water would be better than what you've been dealing with”

“ _Indeed”  
_

An awkward silence passed as he fiddled with a coral necklace, around his neck, a brilliant scarlet shell worn as an amulet.  
You were determined not to let this conversation be the last. “So, my name is-”

“ _I already know your name, human”_

“Well, I don't know how it is for you, but it's common courtesy for names to be exchanged” you ignored the term he used. He could have used worse terms. He bit his lips, clearly hesitant “Look, I won't tell anyone. Hell, not like anyone would believe me...” You placed your hand, fingers splayed out, against the aquarium glass.

It seemed an eternity, but, eventually, cautiously, like he thought you could harm him through the glass, he placed his hand on the opposite side of the glass, on top of yours. His palms were bigger than yours, but not much more. Long, elegant fingers stretched out much farther than yours, with slight webbing between them, almost to the first knuckle. A lot less webbing than you thought, considering that he would be a swimmer. Perhaps he used his lower body to propel more- _Wait, you're thinking like a scientist again, stop that._

“ _Vergil”_

You felt giddy. The scientist portion of your brain was ecstatic that you had done the equivalent of First Contact. But more importantly, as a human, you'd somehow garnered the trust of a extremely guarded (and rightfully so) person. You weren't going to waste this chance.

“It's nice to make your acquaintance, Vergil.” you smiled. He did not reciprocate, but it didn't bother you at all. You'd made some progress, and that was good enough. “So, now that we have introductions out of the way, I'd like to ask some basic questions, if you don't mind”

 _“Within reason, I still do not trust you, human”_ Annnnd the moment was over.

“Well, I was going to ask what you eat. Kelp might be great and all that, but there's gotta be some variety in your diet. I can probably get it for you, as long as it's not something from the deep ocean, or something”

He drew back for a moment, and you thought he was going back to hide behind one of the rocks. But then you heard his distinctive voice reverberate in your head.

“ _There is.... a particular fish I am fond of”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Doctor Griffon is an asshole.... I was highly tempted to make him an Agnus expy, but it wouldn't quite fit with the theme.
> 
> So, after posting the last chapter, out of nowhere, someone not related to the DMC fandom posted [this sculpture](http://hifructose.com/2014/08/20/cameron-stalheims-sculptures-indulge-dark-fantasies/) (NOTE: SLIGHT MERMAN DICK, AND BOOBS) on my Tumblr feed which is almost exactly like I pictured him (aside from the freakishly long tail)


	4. The way to a merman's heart.....

“You gotta be more specific than 'small silvery fish with spots' when describing the type you like, Vergil. That covers dozens of groups, let alone individual types.” You sat, back to the glass, while on your laptop, pulling up picture after picture of similar looking fish. Vergil floated behind your shoulder, steadily dismissing each picture.

“ _Well, the issue is that you humans seem to have picked a different name for it than we have”_ he almost seemed faintly amused at your frustration.

“What does the name 'Cordina' mean anyway?” You closed the browser window with the latest batch of rejected pictures. Well, it wasn't herring... what if it was a fish that humans just didn't eat?

“ _It is just a name in Old Mer. Do your names of your food staples have to mean something?”_

He had a point. A cow was just that... a cow. You grumbled, this was going nowhere... You slammed the laptop shut, and spun to face him. He had been a lot closer than you expected, nearly plastered to the glass, and he quickly darted back, as if he had been caught doing something bad. Had there been no glass or water there, you would have been able to feel his breath on the back of your neck.... the thought of that made you feel warm...

“Alright wise guy, tell me something else about the fish, like how it moves, where it lives, any peculiar oddities it doesn't share with any other fish.”  
He cocked his head to the side, and his eyes looked upward as he recalled the information.

“ _It prefers cold water, and usually stays in the far south, ”_ He said, which was no help. Quite a few species were like that. _“But...every so often, when the seasons make a full cycle, a current of cold water juts far north, and the Cordina follow it, to forage in the new territory. At the same time, the warmth of the Ringed Sea pushes against it, forcing the fish into a long narrow column, close to the coast. And since the water is shallow, the fish are easy picking for both the birds above and the predators below. And thus, the feeding begins”_  
  


Hmmm, that sounded familiar...you wracked your brain, trying to remember where you had heard of that phenomenon. A memory of a professor, showing an image of the east coast of Southern Africa...AHA!  
You yanked open your laptop again, and typed in words, bringing up the image of a fish that fit the description. Flipping it around, you showed him.

“BEHOLD! The Sardine! Specifically _Sardinops sagax,_ South African Sardine ” You watched as he cautiously approached the glass, peering at the image, scrutinizing it. You felt a sudden nervousness, as if you were waiting for your exam marks to be revealed.

And then he smiled.

It was a small smile, barely visible, but it was genuine, and beautiful. Something you wanted to see all the time.

“ _You're very knowledgeable about such things, I hadn't thought that you, a human, would know about something so far away, and in the ocean, to boot.”_

“Well, it's what I studied in university” you watched the confused look on his face, “That's where some people go to learn things so they can specialize. Some want to learn about computers,” you tapped the laptop, “Some learn to teach children, and some, like me, want to learn and explore the ocean. Migration patterns of Sardines aren't my specialty, but we did learn about them from about a lecturer who had studied it.”

“ _Not your specialty?”_ He asked.

Well, the ocean is vast and for the most part, we don't know what's down there...so a lot of us just focus on one Ocean, one particular ecosystem, hell, sometimes one type of individual fish. I prefer to study the deep ocean, it's a whole new world out there. We know more about the moon-”

“ _The moon?”_

“The thing in the sky, usually you see it at night, cycles between getting bigger and smaller...”

“ _Ah, the Tidemother....”_

It had a nice ring to it, you thought... very romantic, you'd have to ask him more about terms he used. “Anyways, the cutting edge of what we don't understand is the deep ocean, since we can't just... go.. there. Not to mention, it's an entire ecosystem that's not dependent on the sun...the Moon's daytime counterpart.” you clarified.

 _"Dawnfather”_ he responded, _“and no doubt, once you scour the sea floor, you will find a way to exploit it, as humans are wont to do. Never satisfied with their lot in life, they take, and take, and take...”_ His fists balled up, and even though you were separated by thick glass, you felt the urge to scoot away. The old look of hatred you had first encountered came back with a vengeance.

“What? No!” you responded. “I mean, humanity as a whole has done a lot of damage, I'll admit to that, but we're trying to get better...bit by bit.”

“ _Fitting words for the daughter of a murderer...”_ he shot back, an you winced. He had a point. Your father's company (and soon to be yours) harvested thousands and thousands of tonnes of fish each year. But something didn't make sense...

“Not that I'm accusing you or anything, but you've been going after my father's fishing vessels, but I remember that during the Sardine Run, fishermen from the villages on the coast come out in droves to harvest the fish as well, why not attack them?”

A pregnant pause, and you were afraid you had offended him _“They merely harvest to feed their families, and their fellow humans, and besides, they are merely one fish in a shoal. I do not feel ill will towards them anymore then I do against any of the other predators.”_ he calmly explained, before returning to his anger _“However, when those ships, with nets that can envelop and harvest countless fish, can scour the oceans clean to feed their hungry maws, that's what I take issue with...”_

“Point taken...but if I'm going to get you some of the fish, I'm going to have to buy it from someone who most likely participates in that sort of thing... so it's either kelp, another fish I can get locally, or... this.”  
He hesitated for moment, before bowing his head in defeat.

“ _If this is the price for keeping my sanity, so be it”_

******

You sat on aquarium platform, with a plate of fresh sardines splayed out in an amateur design, as if it was a plate of hors d'oeuvres at a fancy dinner. Unfortunately, there hadn't been much choice at the market, so you were only able to procure a little over a dozen of the fresh ones (and had managed to finagle a deal with a bemused fishmonger to get a regular supply, citing that you were rehabilitating some sea mammal, it was _technically_ true) but it would take a while to get the supply going.  
So, you attempted a substitute, which you stacked beside the plate. Cans, and cans, and cans of Sardines. The look the cashier gave you, and the way her eyes darted down to your stomach, to see if you were pregnant, was worth it, even if Vergil ended up hating the stuff.

“So, it doesn't look like sardines are in season, so the ones I got might not be the best condition,” you apologized as you opened one of the sardine cans, one packed in salt water. Perhaps he would like the canned ones that tasted as plain as possible, and then you could try out the more flavourful combinations.

Vergil pulled himself up onto the platform, scaring the bejeesus out of you. “Sheesh, give a gal a warning before you do something like that!”

The merman chuckled...his voice, now 'real' echoed through the room “Apologies, I take it you thought we do not surface.” (you made a mental note to attempt to make him laugh again.)

“Well, it doesn't seem very practical,” you said. “You seem to be specialized for aquatic travel, while being rather clumsy on land. The inverse is true for humans.” You realized how dry and clinical that sounded, how close you were to sounding like Doctor Griffon. Your hands covered your mouth “Oh God, that sounded so bad, I'm really... really sorry!”

Vergil chuckled again (tingles went down your spine, perhaps the tales of the merfolk's alluring voices had a kernel of truth.) “It is forgiven, you cannot help how you think. You seem to be a person who is constantly observing, eager to learn. There is nothing to be ashamed in that, as long as you realize your limitations. Something the 'Good Doctor' could take a lesson on...”

He picked up one of the sardines by his tail, and with a quick motion that surprised you, he swallowed the fish whole, bones and all. At first you thought it was because he was famished, but then one sardine turned into two, then three, then half a dozen were gulped like a baleen whale gulping an entire shoal. You were used to animals eating like that, but the image of someone so humanlike.... well, you excused yourself, and went into the kitchen to get yourself something to eat (and hopefully settle your stomach). You weren't sure what you wanted, but you wanted something quick and easy.... And as you checked your cupboards, you found it... a plastic package. Pulling out a pot and filling it with water, you began to cook.

Five minutes later, you came out with a steaming bowl of ramen in salty broth. And what you saw nearly made you laugh. Vergil had devoured the entire plate of sardines, the opened can of of sardines in salt water, and was attempting to open another can, one with sardines packed in olive oil. He wasn't having much luck with it, frowning intently as he rotated the can, attempting to find out how to open the treasure box. You stood back, allowing him to explore, until he finally figured the pull tab, and with a bit of effort, he ripped open the top. He grinned at his success, but in his attempt to grab the reward within, he gripped the can by the sharp, recently opened edge. The can was dropped onto the platform with a clatter as he hissed in pain. A stream of blood bloomed on his palm. Quickly setting your bowl down, you ran over.

“Oh no, are you alright?” and before he could protest, you grabbed his hand to inspect the damage. Vaguely, you realized this was the first time you had touched him. His hands were remarkably soft, especially considering the salt water that he spent his life in. A thin red line on his palm indicated a pretty nasty cut....Or it would have, if it was not rapidly healing in front of your eyes.

“How in the...”

“We heal fairly rapidly, especially compared to you humans, we're not sure why, but it grants us a resiliency that most creatures in the ocean lack. How you humans survive without that ability, I have no idea” He, huffed, amused as you used your ratty old shirt to wipe the blood away to reveal that, yes the cut had healed within a few moments, leaving not even a scar. “You didn't have to do that, I would have licked it off.”

“You...lick your own blood?” you asked, part appalled, part intrigued.

“The less blood we shed, the less likely predators will be attracted,” he explained, and you realized that was probably the same reason for his super-healing. Or if a shark or something did approach, the merfolk would be healed enough to fight back or flee. You were learning more and more things about these people, and just by having a conversation, and treating him as an equal. The 'Doctor' was an idiot, he could have gained so much more knowledge, but no, he was compelled to be a douchebag.

As Vergil (carefully) opened another can of sardines, this time in tomato sauce, you went back to your bowl, now reasonably cooled off, and began slurping away. You watched as he swallowed the sardine, and resisted the urge to laugh at the face he made.

“Not a fan, eh? Ah well, you can't like everything.”

“Indeed, a bit too...sweet for my taste” He looked at the other cans, his brow furrowed, before he looked at you, no, he was looking at the bowl in your lap. The tip of his tongue stuck out, as if he was attempting to mentally form a sentence.

“Would you like to try some of my ramen? It's very salty, probably right up your alley”

“My alley?”

“It means I think you'll like it”

He hesitated for a second...before he nodded, and twirling your fork, you wound a small sized portion, before handing the fork to him. You'd expected (foolishly, in hindsight) that he'd take the fork from you, but instead, he shimmied a bit towards your direction, and carefully, fed off your fork. You couldn't resist giggling as he politely slurped up the noodles.  
“So, how is it?”

He didn't answer, his smile did more than words ever could

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up! Please do not judge Reader for eating ramen with a fork!


	5. Prisoner's Dilemma

“...and we're expected to reach 4 percent growth this quarter,” the chief officer of finance droned on, “with a goal of ten percent growth at the end of the year. The Asian markets are causing immense growth, and our acquisition of Mallet Fisheries has opened us to the European markets, particularly among with herring and cod”

Your head nodded, and you were failing the urge to fight the urge to doze off, when you felt your knee being squeezed. You jerked, and looked to your right, to a apologetically smiling Fredrick. Hastily, you checked around at the other men and women at the mahogany table, to see if anyone else had noticed. Thankfully, they seemed all engrossed at the woman at the podium.

“Unfortunately, we may not reach our projected growth this year, due to unforeseen circumstances regarding mechanical issues with our ships, and especially the sinking of the _Phantom.”_ You felt heat creep up your neck and face, you knew exactly what they were talking about. (The _Phantom_ was one of the larger ships the company owned, to think Vergil could have single-handedly taken it down...wow, you were impressed).

“But nevertheless,” she continued, “We've been personally assured that the cause of these malfunctions have been taken care of, and we should not face anymore issues.” You grimaced, and then quickly checked if anyone else had seen your reaction, but even Fredrick hadn't seen anything, thank God.

“And with that,” she said, “I leave the last words to our wonderful owner.” A round of polite clapping followed as your father walked up up to podium, a big grin on his face. He adjusted his reading glasses, as he checked his notes.  
“As you know, my Father started this business as a small humble fleet of boats, set on the east coast, and was very happy at how it grew and prospered. When he passed it down to me, he told me, 'Son, this is your family legacy. Take care of it as if it was your own child. Nurture it, support it, watch it grow and succeed. And one day, you will see it grow up more than you could have ever hoped.'” He smiled and looked up. “When my father handed me the company, it was large, a dominant fishing fleet that covered the east coast. And several decades later, we've managed to make our family business fully live up to it's name. Mundus is the Latin word for 'The World', and I am proud to see the the company I've worked hard to build has truly lived to it's name. Mundus Ltd has truly become a worldwide company.”

He looked straight at you “Which is why I'm happy to announce that as of today, I'll be letting my daughter, and future son-in-law slowly take over the business.” Surprised murmurings came from the suits, which your father quickly quieted down. “Now don't worry, this transitional period will be at least five years, and possibly a whole decade, to make it as smooth as possible, and I'll be in charge up until the very end. No one's job is at risk. All I ask is that you would treat them as hospitably as you can, help them learn the ropes of this business, and by the time my daughter is ready to take the reins, you'll barely notice the difference. Does anyone have any questions, for me or for our future leaders?”

Thankfully, the boardroom was full of people who were thinking exactly like you, and wanting to get out, asap, so no hands were raised.  
“Well, that about wraps this meeting up, thank you all for attending, we'll meet up in a few weeks time.” Your father said, as the board members attempted to not look to eager to leave the room. You attempted to do the same, but unfortunately, your dad intercepted you, “I know it's a lot of pressure, to live up to this responsibility, but I'm sure with just a few years of training, you'll be ready to take over your legacy. After all, it's in the blood, right?” He laughed as he placed his hand on your shoulder, “Let's go out for a business lunch, I can show you the basics”

You wanted to decline, but Fredrick saved the day. “Sorry sir, but we've already planned our lunch together,” which you father seemingly was fine with.

“Have fun, you lovebirds!” he called out as you left the building, causing you to blush immensely.

*****

You sat in the booth, poking at your salad. You'd at first been happy that Fredrick had 'rescued' you from the attentions of your father, but now you were regretting it, since your fiance was a bit nervous, a bit distant. He kept glancing at his phone, like he was expecting a call, and it was getting a bit annoying.

“So, you expecting someone?” you attempted to ask nonchalantly, after his sixth checkup.

He sighed apologetically, “I'm sorry, my dad is expecting me home soon, he has business dealings with a Japanese engineering firm he wants me to be a part of, but we're not sure when they will show up, their flight might be a bit early. He paused, took a drink of his water, and stiffened, “which is what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“What does this have to do with me?” you asked, somewhat nervously.

He sighed, as if he really didn't want this conversation. “It looks like my father wants me to head with the engineering team back to Japan to oversee the construction and operation of the new fish processing plant.”

You were relieved. It wasn't something bad at all, he was just nervous about the 'promotion' “Oh that's great! It's wonderful that you're father trusts you with such an important task. I'm sure you'll do great at it.”

He grimaced, “Yeah... that's the problem. I'll be out of the country for nearly ten and half months...”

You mentally calculated... you'd been engaged for a month, and in that time you'd seen Fredrick a grand total of... four days. That would leave...

“You'll only have a half a month to get ready before the wedding?!”

“Yeah, I know, I brought this up with my dad, but he said that this couldn't wait.... this was the perfect opportunity to get my feet wet in the business, and that I'd be a fool to miss this,” he said sheepishly.

“But the planning... I thought we were going to do this together!”

“We can, I won't be in the middle of nowhere, I'll have 24/7 internet access.”

“That won't help me with contacting vendors, caterers, and convention areas... it won't help me choose flowers or who to invite and who's persona non grata to the ceremony,” you protested.

Your fiance gritted his teeth as his head “Look, my father said that was usually the reserve of the ladies, and you're getting a top notch wedding planner, so how hard could it be? By the time I come back, the only thing we'll need is the tuxedo fitting, and we'll be good to go.”

“ _How hard could it be!?”_ you wanted to scream, but you couldn't start a scene in public. Besides, he had a point, how many months had he gone without seeing you while you were busy on you studies? He deserved this chance to make something of himself, even if it put more of a burden on you. It wouldn't be fair to him to deny him this, not when you were comfortable at home, no expectations... just arrange a wedding, and learn how your father's business ran. Still, you had hoped that both of you would be able to do this as a team....

“Alright, I guess. I mean, I won't deny that I'm disappointed...but do you really want this?”

He placed his hand on yours, and smiled apologetically. “Yes, although I wish it was at any other time of my life. It's a shame how life likes to throw curve balls at us. Now,” he said as he waved a passing waiter for the check, “Let me drive you home, and I'll get you my future contact info.”

*****

Fredrick pulled into your driveway, and hurriedly got out to open the door for you. He was always so gentlemanly about it, and even when it occasionally annoyed you, you couldn't bear to tell him to stop.

“We've arrived, milady” he joked as he escorted you to your front door. As you went through your keys to get the correct one, you paused. Your fiance had not been to your place since the aquarium was set up, and hadn't been told about Vergil. In fact, aside from your father and 'Doctor' Griffon, you were pretty sure no one knew about the merman.

What was strange was that you weren't worried about what Fredrick would think of Vergil, it was more of what Vergil would Fredrick. Would he see him as an intruder? What nonsense! In the past month, with your daily conversations, you'd told him many things about yourself, your family (although you had wisley steered away from talking about your father) friends, and... your fiance. What had Vergil called him? Ah, yes, 'Future Bondmate'. Merfolk seemed to have the romantic terms for everything. Surely he would be understanding enough that he would see Fredrick was no threat.

“Having trouble, honey?” Fredrick's voice intruded into your thoughts.

“I'm sorry, between all the keys from the estate, it's always hard to find the right one.” You fingered each key on the ring. One for your father's place, one for the warehouse on the estate, one to you mother's... and of course, one to Fredrick's place. Not to mention the ones to the private dock where you and your father kept your boats.

“Ah, here it is” you pulled it out in victory, and you inserted the key, and turned. “Now I must warn you, my place is a bit different since you last came over...” but by then it was too late, your fiance had inadvertently pushed you aside to get a better look at the aquarium. Could you really blame him? He didn't quite share the same fascination of the oceans as you, but only a curmudgeon would fail to appreciate the beauty of such an extravagant aquarium. He marveled at the coral, the rocks, the fish...

_But not Vergil._

The merman was nowhere to be seen. You panicked for a brief moment, worried that Vergil had attempted an escape, and was currently stuck or hurt. But then you saw just a flicker of movement, from behind one of the farther rocks, nearly imperceptible to anyone who didn't know there was something there in the first place. Vergil, cautious as ever (and could you blame him?) had obviously heard a stranger, and decided retreat was the wisest course of action.  
“Amazing, your father really has outdone himself this time.” He observed a school of angelfish swim past. “It will be a bit of a hassle to move it to my place after the wedding...”

“Wait” you interrupted, jokingly “Who's to say I'm moving in with you?”

“I need to be close to my business, and close to the airport should I need to make an emergency trip to one of the factories.” he said, straight faced.

You realized he wasn't joking, and you protested “But this is my place, my home... we haven't even discussed our living arrangements yet.”

He seemed to have grasped quickly what you were talking about. “Sorry, I really shouldn't have assumed....Look, we don't have to move in all the way, you can keep this place as your home, live at my place part time, it's not really going to be that far, just a half hour drive if the traffic is good. We can even-” he was interrupted by a incessant buzzing, and he grabbed his phone, looking at message. “Aw damn, looks like their flight has arrived.” He began walking to the door, with you following. “Look, I'll try to call you every night, you work out all the arrangements, and I'll say yes to everything and anything you want. I want this to be the day you always dreamed about.” He gave you a quick kiss on the lips, before opening the front door, and running to his car. He pulled out at an alarming rate of speed, waving to you the entire time. You reciprocated, smiling and waving all the while until he was out of sight. Only then did your arm slowly fall down, and your smile fade.

Slowly closing the door, you trudged inside, before flopping down on the couch. It was only early afternoon, and yet you were exhausted. You were could only deal with so much personal interaction for so long without starting to break down. And now you were expected to take care of every single detail of this wedding. And it was going to be big wedding, you knew that. It would have been nice if the workload had been sha-

“ _So that is your bondmate to be?”_ Vergil's inner voice gently prodded you from your anxiety inducing thoughts. You looked back at the aquarium glass, where he floated silently. Only now did you notice that his once pale tale was now speckled with blue scales, and his fins now had more of a blueish tint to them, unrelated to the lights of the aquarium.

“Yeah, that's Fredrick,” you waited for his judgement, no doubt negative, as Vergil had a very low opinion of humans in general.

“ _He seems like a good man”_ he responded, and you smiled. Perhaps he wasn't the curmudgeon you thought he was.

“ _But you do not love him.”_

You did a double take, “Wait, what do you mean?”

He kept his eyes on you, but not in a judgmental way, _“The way you talk to him, the physical gestures, the way you smile_...” you thought about how he was watching you smile, and you felt bubbly inside, before shoving it back down. _“You do not hate him, nor dislike him, but as a bondmate....”_ he hesitated before continuing on _“he is not what you wish for the rest of your life. Which perplexes me, why do you go through with this?”_

You thought about the first part. Vergil was correct, while you and Fredrick were good friends, almost best friends, you couldn't really take it to the next level. But the wedding... once you were married, things would work out.

  
“It's more complicated than that, Vergil. Humans don't always marry for love, it's actually a relatively new concept, especially among upper classes. We usually married to bind families together, whether property, land, or power. Hopefully, love was added benefit.”

“ _Strange”_ the merman mused, _“Perhaps it is due to humans and their need for possessions has superseded other concerns. We merfolk do not have such concerns, and as such, we value our connections, with out family, friends, our... bondmates. To create such a connection”_ he said seriously, and you realized this was the first you'd heard about mer culture, _“is a life long commitment, one that has power that is.... inexplicable”_  
You hesitated, worried at that you would bring up bad memories, “Vergil...do you...have a bondmate?”

He was taken aback, and he backed up for a tense moment, _“No.... I was a bit of an oddity, I preferred to go my way for the past few years. Perhaps in a few years... if ..._ ” his eyes seemed to dim, and he looked like he was staring at nothing.

“Vergil,” you said softly, and the alertness returned, but not to the same exact level as before, “The offer is still on the table, if you want to leave, I'll get you to the ocean.” You had expected him to either happily take the offer, or return to his angry state and denial. You didn't expect a small, sad smile.

“ _The offer is appreciated whether you place it on a table or in the aquarium, but I must decline...for now.”_

“Well, if you ever change your mind, at any time, I'll do it. I don't want you to be a prisoner here.”

“ _We seem to have that in common...”_ he chuckled without mirth, causing you to cock your head in confusion. _“You do not wish to see me a prisoner of this cage and I...”_ he paused, _“I do not wish to see you a prisoner of expectations....”_

And with that, he (rapidly) swam away, leaving you flummoxed, confused, and suddenly rather disconcerted.


	6. Tectonic Shift

Over the months, you'd settled into a pattern, you'd wake up, have a shower, and get dressed. You'd head to the kitchen, grab yourself a piece of toast, and some kelp and some fish. Occasionally, you'd fry an egg, or some bacon... (lots of bacon, Vergil seemed to love that stuff more than sardines), and sit on the little platform and have breakfast. Without fail, you'd ask every morning if this was the day Vergil wanted to go back to the ocean, and the response was always the same.... A gruff, but not impolite no. It kind of became a running joke between you two, as you both ate your breakfast. While you munched, you'd tell him of your plans for the day, and ask him questions mostly about sea life, and occasionally about merlife in general. You never tried asking specifics, but you gleaned tidbits about the life of the merfolk, how deep they could go (as far down as the ocean floor, although they rarely felt the need to go that deep), their senses, (very sensitive, and you were almost certain he had senses that he could not explain to you, like echolocation, or heat vision), and very basic knowledge about their culture. (They tended to travel in shoals, although, merfolk of his age tended to go solo until they had found a bondmate of their own). You desperately wanted to know more, but you didn't wish to force him to tell you anything he did not wish to. This wasn't an interrogation, more of an anthropological study.

Once a month, you'd take some measurements of his vitals. That had been a bit of a hassle to convince on both ends, to Vergil, and to Doctor Griffon. Surprisingly, it was the merman that was the easiest to convince. After you'd explained that it was the only way to keep the asshole doctor away from him, he'd relented, on the grounds that you would not do anything painful. And you had, like the good student you had been for the past decade, had taken thorough notes. To your delight, he'd seemed to be healthier than before, gaining weight, and his once sunken in eyes seemed more relaxed, but more sharp and alert. And even more impressively, the scales on his tail were no longer the sickly deep sea pale that he had when you had first seen him. Instead his scales had transformed into a gorgeous deep iridescent blue, with occasional flecks of silver and gold. His fins, once bedraggled, colourless and limp, now fluttered in dark blue, almost black, layers, reminiscent of high quality chiffon. If you had to compare him to a fish, you'd probably say he reminded you of an elegant, but aggressive betta fish. Beautiful, yet you knew highly dangerous. (Part of your brain thought about putting a mirror in the tank, to see if he would 'puff out', but as hilarious as it sounded, you wouldn't dare do that) In short, he seemed to be thriving, which was amazing, considering his current condition.

The 'Doctor' was a bit harder to convince. He really, truly wanted to see how 'his' specimen was doing, but you had put your foot down. You were NOT going to let the man anywhere near Vergil, as long as you could help it. You'd actually felt very proud of yourself, managing to talk him down to a compromise. You'd write up monthly reports and pictures, send them over, and you'd promised that you would contact him immediately if there were any health issues. This seemed to mollify the doctor enough, and he begrudgingly accepted. At the very least, he was exceedingly happy with the colour returning to Vergil's scales, but most likely for an entirely different reason than you.

Upon finishing breakfast, you'd tell him when you'd be back, leave him out some food in a bowl on the platform, (including utensils, he'd expressed interest in trying to use them, but he never did so in your presence, possibly out of embarrassment?) And then you'd leave for the day.

Most days, it was following your father around like an obedient little puppy dog, observing everything he did. Watching how he interacted with clients, board members, subordinates, secretaries, and even the janitors. Polite, professional, friendly and yet always calculating, attempting to see how he could maximize his benefit in every single interaction. A lay person would say he had a shark-like personality, but you knew sharks were less predatory than he was. He was more of an angler fish, (the female of course, the males were too tiny), luring people in with his bubbly personality, before snapping them up. But could you really blame him? The angler fish did her thing to get scarce resources, way on the bottom of the ocean, and your father did his thing to remain at the top of the food chain.

Other days were spent with your wedding planner, Sarah, or your mother, looking at venues, caterers, florists. Being dragged to one wedding show, and then another. They were both a good help in carrying some of the load, but of course, they would have their own preferences about everything that you had to push back on. Already your mother was saying that blue was 'definitely not your colour, you're a warm toned girl’, and Sarah’s well meaning suggestions on music selections that just didn’t fit your style. And your wedding planner, while taking the bulk of your work under her wing, wasn’t much help on the support front. And Fredrick…?

You spent the entire lunch break talking to him as he perfected his Japanese, and listened to his ongoing adventures running the company. He’d attempt to listen to you gripe about your trials and tribulations, but all he could do was be a sympathetic ear, and always agree to everything, no matter the item or cost. If you had insisted that you’d wanted the Eiffel tower flown in for the ceremony, he’d probably say, “Yup, how much?”

So, by the time you got home, you were exhausted, and all you wanted to do was go to bed. But there was Vergil. You couldn’t neglect him, so as you made him dinner (and collected his dishes, neatly piled up for you, the merman was rather polite for such brusque personality). You and him would converse, and while you kept your frustrations to a minimum, scraps would slip out, causing him to frown. But unlike Fredrick, he didn’t brush it aside, but allowed you to release your troubles, even if there was nothing he could do about it.

You’d spend dinner on the platform, sometimes he’d eat fish, sometimes you’d give him samples of food you were eating, and if he liked it, you’d make a mental note to make him a dish of it. But he really had a preference for ramen, so you made it for him on a regular basis, making as many different versions as possible. Adding a poached egg seemed to please him greatly, so you made sure to keep a carton of eggs for the occasion. You’d spend the evening researching venues and stuff, while Vergil would talk about sea life, things you would have never found out in a lifetime of exploration. He’d talk about the shipwrecks he saw, (including the  _ Phantom,  _ and he couldn’t resist grinning at the memory), underwater volcanoes in locations that you’d never dreamed of. Even if you couldn’t use the information in your official research (Citing:  _ The merman that is imprisoned in my home _ wouldn’t pass muster on any scientific papers) 

Eventually, you’d start to nod off, before wishing him goodnight, and heading onward to bed, although sometimes you’d passed out on the couch facing the aquarium, letting the sound of splashing water lull you to sleep. Although, sometimes, just before you slipped into unconsciousness, you could have sworn you heard a voice singing….

*****

Tonight was going to be a different night, though. No wedding research, your phone was sitting in your bedroom, on silent, and your laptop was still in its bag in the entryway. Nope, tonight was going to be a night to relax, and have some fun.

Vergil’s eyebrows raised as you placed a water resistant cushioned blanket on the platform, before patting it to beckon him to sit on it. You pulled out several cases, a bowl of popcorn, and a portable DVD player.

Tonight, you were going to introduce Vergil to the human activity of Movie Night.

“So,” you placed the cases in front of him. “This is how we humans sometimes spend time, how we entertain ourselves. I’d love to take you to a movie theatre” you chuckled at the mental image of wheeling him in a wheelchair into a cinema, “but I’m not sure how much you’d like to be out of water for an extended period of time, so we’ll have to do the next best thing.” You gestured to the cases in front of him. “Each of these tells a story, pick one and I’ll tell you the basics of it, so you can figure out if you’d like it.”

Vergil looked a bit confused, “They tell a story?”

“Yes,” you explained. “We have storytelling, but over the years we managed a way to make them so you didn’t need to have a dedicated storyteller to entertain you, we just take one of these babies,” You popped out a disc to show him, “and it’ll tell the story out for us.”

The merman scoffed, “Sounds rather… cold, and lacking any personality.”

“Hey, don’t knock it until you try it,” you said as you booted up the player, making sure it had the battery power needed. It had been a while since you had the time, or the drive to sit down for one of these.

Vergil pulled himself out of the water, and sat himself on the blanket, perusing the selection. Of course, his eyes were drawn to the animated one, featuring a redheaded mermaid.

“Ah, the Little Mermaid! It’s a story about a mermaid who falls in love with a human guy, and wants to be a human to be with him”

The grimace he gave was as if you had slipped sugar into his ramen. “Why would any merfolk wish to become human?”

You laughed, totally unoffended. Of course he would think that, and rightfully so. His opinion of the human world forever be tainted by his previous experiences, but at least… you could attempt to make it more pleasant. You pulled the case away, (as well as the  _ Splash  _ case, odds are he wouldn’t like that either), watching his eyes as it fell on another case. He cocked his head, as he picked it up.

“Ah, Pirates of the Carribean! One of my personal favourites….It’s set many years ago, there’s these pirates… um guys that-”

“I know what pirates are” and he smiled at the shock on your face, “we have songs about them, from a multitude of cycles ago, of when they would sail on the seas...and the battles they raged. They often had depictions of us on the front of their ships, carved in wood. They respected us, and we respected them. So,” he said, his eyes becoming distant “we sing to remember them.”

“Well,” you said slowly, “would you like to watch?” He gave a subtle nod, and you grinned before popping the disk in.

You sat beside each other (leaving a comfortable gap between the two of you) and began to watch. Every so often you had to pause (which startled Vergil to no end as he couldn’t fathom how the the characters seemingly froze in place) to explain a concept, such as the ‘Governor’ being a person who controlled the territory, and who’s daughter was also very important. You felt him stiffen as her reaction as the Commodore proposed to her, (you could have sworn he murmured, ‘Hmmm perhaps it’s a human thing…’). 

“There seems to be a lot of young men with white hair, I was under the impression it was mostly the domain of the merfolk, and elderly humans” he asked.

“They’re wigs, Vergil, they loved to wear those things back in the day”

“Did women find them attractive? Is that why she is saying yes to his proposal for bonding, despite her having feelings for the young man without the...wig?”

You felt uncomfortable at that question, knowing how close it hit. Was he merely referring to the characters, or was there a deeper question, about your impending marriage? “It’s complicated, Vergil. She’s a very important woman, and marrying her will bring great things to his family, and so will it to her family”

Vergil hummed, unconvinced, but was easily distracted by the swordsmanship between the two protagonists. He seemed almost transfixed at the dance like movements. You wondered if he was a swordsman himself. 

And then, the pirates attacked, killing townsfolk, and you felt Vergil stiffen as the violence continued. Things got so tense that you had to pause the movie again, turning to him, and watching his hands balled into fists.

“Vergil, what’s wrong?”

“It’s barbaric,” he said, pulverizing a poor piece of popcorn in his fist. “That you humans kill others for entertainment.”

You stared, confused, until the realization dawned on you, and you desperately restrained a laugh. “Oh no, Vergil… it’s not what you think.”

“You're killing people for your story!”

“They’re actors, Vergil, they’re only pretending to play dead… it’s what they want to do, and they get compensated for doing it.”

“But there’s blood…” he tried saying.

“Trust me, it’s all fake, you’d be able to tell instantly if you were on the set… uh, where they make the movie, that it’s not real. Nobody sane would ever agree to die for a movie.”

It seemed to mollify him, for the time being, especially when the one of the pirate’s arms turned skeletal in the moonlight, something that could never happen in real life.

You both watched in silence for some time, and you were becoming aware that he was getting closer to you, to the point you were practically touching. It must be because the screen was so small, he was attempting to get a better vantage point.

And now you were at the part where the two lovebirds were attempting to pretend that they didn’t have feelings for each other. It was hilariously transparent, and yet … sad. The screen became blurry as you watched the young blacksmith tenderly bandage the woman’s hand.

Suddenly, you felt an insistent tapping on your shoulder. You paused the movie yet again, and turned to find the merman extremely alarmed.

“Vergil?” 

“Your face, it’s….” he attempted to find the correct word before settling on an adequate, if not hilariously sounding one. “It’s leaking.”

You blinked, trying to figure out what he meant before you realized he was talking about the wetness on your cheeks.

“Oh,” you explained “it’s just tears. Humans do it all the time when we get emotional. Usually when we’re sad… but sometimes when we’re happy, and even when we laugh very hard. Even we don’t know why we do it.” Obviously, being surrounded by water, Vergil had never experienced tears, even if he was capable of shedding them. You wiped one cheek, but his hand unexpectedly grabbed your wrist as you attempted to dry the other. 

He seemed as shocked as you were at his action, and his pale skin seemed to flush. Most likely it was from the light of the sunset coming in through the skylight.

“May I?” He asked hesitantly, and you silently nodded, as he gingerly caressed your cheek, his thumb picking up the droplet that clung to it. And then he did something you did not expect: he placed his thumb in his mouth, to taste it. You froze, as if you yourself had been placed on pause. 

Vergil’s eyes closed, and after a few moments of silence, he murmured “tastes like home”. A faraway look appeared as his eyes reopened, and you felt yet another pang of guilt for keeping him prisoner. But after a minute or so, his grey eyes regained their hardness, and he asked “shall we continue?”

Flustered as you were, you eagerly took that as an opportunity to distract yourself as you restarted the movie. And within minutes the whole incident was seemingly forgotten. But something, something you couldn’t put your finger on, had changed.

There was no light coming through the skylight by the time the movie had finished, and all that was left of the popcorn were those ever present stubborn kernels that refused to pop. Vergil had devoured a majority of the bowl, and you added it to the mental list of foods he enjoyed. You stretched as he slipped back into the water.

“So, what’s your opinion? Good, bad, boring?” you asked (hoping it was the former)

Vergil had dove underwater, most likely to rehydrate. 

_ “I enjoyed it very much,”  _ you heard his voice echo in your head, and you resisted the urge to do a victory punch into the air.  _ “I … would not be averse to doing it again in the future.” _

“Of course,” you said, and you cursed yourself at how quickly you answered, “there’s two more movies that tell what happens after, if you’d like to watch those.”

Another heart stopping pause, and his head breached the surface, his steel grey eyes locked on you, but not as hard as before.

“I would like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, Pirates of the Caribbean, one of my favorite movies. Oddly enough, Commodore Norrington is possibly my best example of 'false love interest' done right. To the point that in the third movie.... well, Vergil would have a lot of tears to taste.


	7. Cutting Questions

_ I can’t believe I agreed to try this on _ . You stared at the multiple copies of yourself in the full body mirrors as you cringed at the multi-angle view of the monstrocity masquerading as a wedding dress. It was far too floofy, with enough taffeta layers that made you think that you were a pure white pastry. And the bodice was far too tight, even for just a try out. You swore your lower ribs were being crushed as the lady pulled the laces of the corset, and it took all your willpower to not cry out.

“There we go…” she said, triumphantly, and she twirled you around so you could get a good look at every side of this disaster. “We may have to let out the bust a bit, and a little at the waist, but you look stunning!”

_ I look like a goddamn jellyfish,  _ was all you could think.

You waddled out, attempting to not trip over the fluff that obscured your legs, to face the duo that eagerly waited for your appearance. Surely they would find it as ridiculous as you did! But the look on your mother’s face was not encouraging.

“OH MY GAWD,” she said with tears in her eyes…”You are absolutely gorgeous! The dress suits you perfectly!”

“I dunno,” you said, attempting to be diplomatic. Last thing you wanted to do is be known as a bridezilla, “I’m not sure it fits me”

“Well, of course,” she crooned, “It’ll need some alterations, but you’ll feel like a princess walking down the aisle with it. The congregation will love it!” She was obviously taking the word ‘fit’ literally. “And what do you think, Sarah?”

You silently prayed that your best friend would at least have the gumption to say something. “It looks nice….” she started politely “but perhaps it could use a splash of colour?”

Your mother’s eyes widened, and she clapped her hands together. “Yes! A light pink would really bring out the colour of the diamonds on your engagement ring.” She paused, pinched up her face and thought for a second, chin in her hand. “Ah! Sequins! You need more sequins! It’s all the rage wedding this season.” She turned to the saleswoman. “You MUST have something like that!”

The saleswoman, surprisingly, was a bit hesitant, considering she was about to make a major commision off this sale gently prodded, “I’m sure the bride would love to add to the suggestions.”

“I was hoping,” you started, “That it would be a bit less ostentatious. Something a bit more simple, less fancy”

“Nonsense,” your mother interrupted, “This is YOUR day, you need to go all out! With luck, this will be the most important day of your life.” She turned back to the saleswoman. “Money is no object, but my daughter MUST look her best for her special day.”

The lady turned to you, to get your approval, and you wanted to say something, anything to get out of wearing yet another hideous top designer couture, but that excited look on your mother’s face just made you hesitate. You couldn’t bear to see her face fall as you told her what you really thought of that dress. (Pink? Your mother had to know you hadn’t liked that colour since elementary school!) And how sequins just didn’t suit you at all, you preferred the slender, simple backless gown with the green sash at the waist, that stood at the front window. (The sneer your mother gave at it when you suggested it was enough to shut your mouth.)

But it was late afternoon, and you’d tried almost a dozen dresses, and frankly, you were tired. And when you really thought about it, you’d only be wearing the dress for one day. Perhaps your reticence was unreasonable. After all, your mother had worn three different wedding dresses throughout her lifetime, and perhaps she knew what was best for you, maybe you should just trust her.

“Very well…” you said, and your mom giddily followed the sales lady to the back. You flopped down inelegantly on the cushioned sofa, and sighed.

“You know,” Sarah volunteered hesitantly, “this is supposed to be YOUR day, you shouldn’t be such a doormat”

“I’m not a doormat!” you hissed, attempting to not cause a scene.

“Suuuure you’re not,” she said rolling her eyes, before looking back at the dress in the window. “I love you to bits, but man, you gotta stand up for yourself. You keep letting your parents push you around, it’s not gonna ease up, no matter how much you give in to their demands”

You cracked, just a little bit, Sarah had a point. You spent your entire life trying to live up to their standards, and yet, it was never enough. There was always a way you were supposed to dress, a business you should look into, a new contact you should make, a man you were supposed to marry-. You decided that you would let that train of thought leave the station.

“I can’t,” you said quietly, looking down at your hands resting in floofiness that was your lap, “they’re expecting so much of me, I’d be letting them down right now”

“Well,” Sarah countered, “you stood up to them before, when you said you wanted to go into Marine Biology all those years ago. I remember the horrific arguments you had with both of them, you even stayed with me for a few weeks until they gave in. And look where it got you, a Doctorate in your dream subject, and the ability to do the thing you really love; explore the ocean!”

“That’s because I felt passionate about it, Sarah”

“So does that mean you aren't passionate about this wedding?”

You clammed up, any words in response died on your tongue. Sarah, despite her veneer of benign cluelessness, was an expert at cutting straight to the matter.  _ Did you feel passionate about this wedding? Did you even love Fredrick? Would you ever love him? _

“We’re baaaack!” your mother’s voice smothered your thoughts and doubts as she and the saleslady brought out a dress that quite possibly was even worse looking than the one you were currently wearing. You gave one last longing glance at the the beautiful dress in the showcase, and allowed yourself to be shepherded back into the dressing room, leaving behind a beaming mother, and a resigned best friend.

*****

The sun was low in the sky as you finally left your mother’s place, after wishing her and your newest step-father a good night. Sarah gave you a tight hug, with a concerned remark that no matter what you chose, she’d have your back. You knew that you were hurting her by going through with this, but it would work out in the end, you knew it.

You sat back in your driver's seat, pausing after starting the engine. It had been a draining day, and all you wanted to do was to have a bath, wrap yourself up in some towels, make yourself and Vergil some food, and just chill. Despite all the stress from the wedding plans, and the the steep learning curve of taking up the reins of your father’s company, talking with Vergil about anything, and yet nothing at the same time calmed you down immensely. You always looked forward to those times.

But first, one last errand before you went home. You told your wireless system to make the call, and as you pulled out of your mother’s driveway, the drone of a dial tone reverberated in the car. A few rings, and your father’s voice answered.

“Ah, how’s my favourite girl doing? Did you pick your dream dress out?” he asked cheerfully.

“Yes, mom helped pick it out it’s a-” 

Your dad interrupted you, “Now now, don’t tell me, I just want it to be a surprise! Just have your mother send me the bill, I’ll work out the payment” You breathed a sigh of relief, you didn’t really feel like somehow describing the abomination that took the guise of a dress in a somewhat positive light. 

“Listen, sweetheart” your father said, “I’ll be out for a few weeks on business, accompanying your future father-in-law on a trip to check up on Fredrick, and maybe sign some more deals, so no ‘Take Your Daughter to Work Days’ for a while. You got any concerns or any requests, you’ll have to call me. Me and Mr. Sombra are on the cusp of a deal that will be mutually beneficial for both our family, and Fredrick’s.” Another sigh of relief, one less stress point to deal with. 

Suddenly, in the background, you heard a popping sound, which sounded like fireworks, but the rhythm sounded off, it sounded like… Gunshots!?

“Dad!” you barked out worriedly, “Is everything alright?”

Your father’s response was cheerful and reassuring, “Ah it’s alright, I’m at the gun range, Mr. Sombra decided we should get to know each other better with our prospective hobbies while we work on this deal. I think I might be getting the hang of this gun thing, although I’ve gotta resist the urge to close one eye to do so. Tomorrow, I get to show him the joys of breadmaking!” Your dad sounded as giddy as a schoolgirl to share his passion project, you couldn’t help but smile. “Well, I gotta go, your future father-in-law is begging me to try out this new pistol he purchased!”

“Okay, say Hello to Fredrick when you see him! And have a safe trip!” you chirped, “I love you, dad”

“Love you too, sweetheart, bye!” As the phone call ended, you began to relax. Sure, today had been a draining day, but your father’s upbeat energy perked you up. Perhaps your conversation with Vergil wouldn't be so dour today. You sensed he had some issue with your father, but you never brought it up, simply because you never wanted to see him as he was when you first met. You wanted him, if not happy, at least content and untroubled. You hummed a familiar tune for the rest of the way home, but no matter how hard you thought about it, you couldn’t figure out where you heard it from.

As you pulled into your driveway, the cheerful mood skidded to a halt. Another, unfamiliar vehicle was parked beside your usual parking space, but nobody was seen. You tensed up. You hadn’t expected any guests, and to just get on the property, you had to have a way of getting past the security gate. 

Cautiously, you got out. It couldn’t possibly be a burglary, what idiot would park in front of your home while looting the place? But still, you had your fears, not for your property, nor for even yourself. What about Vergil? 

Your stomach dropped as your front door opened, and out came a slimy slug of a man...Doctor Griffon. He was practically beaming, whistling a jaunty tune, with a regular sized briefcase in his left hand, and a long narrow briefcase in his right. To your untrained eye, it looked similar to a gun case, and your blood ran cold. 

The doctor finally noticed you after he locked the door, (how the hell had he gotten a hold of the keys?) and smiled, totally oblivious of what he was doing to your emotions.

“Ah, My dear! I was not expecting your arrival! I must say, you’ve done a marvelous job on rehabilitating Angelo. I was worried it was languishing in captivity, but you’ve managed to bring it’s original colour back, and it’s gained some weight, you must tell me your feeding schedule-”

“Cut the crap, Doctor. How the hell did you get a key? What the fuck are you doing here? ” you hissed. 

The man deflected your anger as if it was a pesky fly. “Your father gave me permission and access to your home, to take care of the creature, in case of emergencies, and I deemed it an emergency, since you’ve missed the deadline to deliver your monthly report for the past three days.”

_ Wait what? _

You quickly checked your phone. Sure enough, the asshole was right, in the hubbub of bridal shows, cake tastings, and now wedding dress try-outs, you had missed the deadline. It was hard to resist the urge to slap yourself for this stupidity.

“I’m not sure how you managed to wrangle the creature without it’s leash,” he glanced down at the long briefcase, “But I’m highly impressed you were able to. I’ll admit I thought you were just faking the measurements…”

“You could have called me, let me know, I could have gotten you the information you  _ so desperately  _ needed. Instead of breaking into my place without my damn permission.”

The bastard dangled a ring with a single key on it, in front of you. “Like I said, this was given to me by your father, with permission to-”

You didn’t let him finish as you yanked the key out of his grasp. “Consider the permission rescinded.” you said curtly. He attempted to speak again, but you wouldn’t let him. “Talk to my father if you want to contest this, because I’m not letting you set foot on my property again.  **Am I making myself clear?** Your voice lowered dangerously, your adrenaline pumping through your system, the key clenched so tight in your fist, you could feel the start of it cutting into your palm. Immediately, your brain went into overdrive, preparing on how to react should Griffon try to take the key back,  _ punch him in the face, or in the gut, or a kick to the groin? _

But you needn’t have worried. The doctor, despite his glares, decided to back off. No doubt he would attempt to contact your father, but both of you knew who your dad would side with.

“Very well,” he glowered, “but if anything happens to the specimen,” the urge to punch him reached a deafening crescendo, “I will hold you personally responsible.” And with a huff, he shouldered past you, got in his car, and with a slamming of a door, he peeled out, going towards your family’s central warehouse building.

You let out a ragged breath,  _ The next time I see him, I’m going to skewer the bastard,  _ you thought viciously. The previously relaxed feeling that you had worked so hard to build melted like snow under a blowtorch. How could you have been so fucking stupid? You had spent the last decade turning assignments on time for your doctorate, why did you forget now? All your efforts at gaining Vergil’s trust had just been shattered because of your negligence…

_ Vergil… _

You ran towards the door, clumsily failing to get the key into the hole, and spreading blood from your newly cut hand all over the handle. It could wait until later, you had to check up on the merman, that was your priority right now.

After a few tries, you got the door unlocked, and you rushed inside, tossing your belongings everywhere in your haste to get to the aquarium. “Vergil!” you called out, but no response reverberated in your head. You plastered yourself against the glass, trying desperately to find him. And after a few moments of panicked searching, you saw him, hidden behind his usual rock where he usually spent time alone. But now he was unmoving, curled up in a defensive ball, his eyes vacant, staring at nothing at all. “Vergil!” you yelled, but no response.  _ What had that asshole done to him? Did it have something to do with that leash? What if he’s hurt? _

Without quite thinking, you clambered onto the platform, and after a moment to gather your breath, you dove in.

The cut on your palm protested at the salt water, but you didn’t care, as you swam to the far rock. You cautiously approached Vergil, unable to talk to him with your weak human lungs, which already started to burn. Vergil remained staring straight ahead, his eyes transfixed on nothing, unaware of your presence. So, you did the only thing you could, and placed your hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle shake.  _ Come back to me, Vergil. _

And then, without warning, both his hands shot out, grabbing your shoulders in a vise tight grip. In your surprise, you let out the last of your air still in your lungs, the bubbles rising to the surface. You went to follow, but Vergil wouldn’t let go. Panic forming, you started struggling, but the merman was as solid as the rock he hid behind, and wouldn’t budge. And what was worse, the vacant look in his eyes was still there, he had no idea he was drowning you. For a split second, you thought about trying to hit him, to knock some awareness back into him, but that would make it worse. So, as you felt your body slowly shutting down, conserving all the oxygen it had for only vital functions, you did the only thing you could think of.

You softly caressed his cheek, hoping the gentle touch might, possibly be the thing he needed to snap him out of his catatonia. 

To your relief, it seemed to work, and his eyes focused on you in confusion. All you could do was keep your eyes focused on his, as everything besides his face became a dark blur. Panic filled his face, and you were aware of rushing water, and then the feeling of cool air on your cheeks. Spluttering and coughing, you gulped up the air, as Vergil gently guided you to the platform and helped you clumsily clamber up onto it.

“Forgive me…” you heard him murmur as you stood on all fours, still attempting to catch your breath. “Had it been a few moments later, I would have....”

“Not your fault, Vergil '' you gasped out, finally able to regulate your breathing, as the pounding of blood in your head slowed down, as the adrenaline stopped flowing. “This was all me, I should have sent in that report, so ‘he’,” you spat out the word in hatred, so Vergil knew who you were talking about, “wouldn’t have shown up. But I was so. Fucking. Forgetful. You felt like crying, but you kept it locked inside. You both didn’t need the additional emotions tonight.

You felt a soft hand placed upon yours, and you looked into his grey eyes, softness replacing the blankness that had been there a few moments ago. “It appears,” he said with a gentle smile, “we are at an impasse to who’s at fault. Shall we agree that we have both done the other ill?”

“I suppose we could do that,” as you used your hand to brush your soaked hair out of your eyes. Suddenly Vergil frowned, he gently turned your other hand around, revealing an angry red gash.

“Did I…?” he started to say, but you shushed him.

“No, that was me, when I was confronting the Doctor” Vergil stiffened at the mention, and you sought to assure him “Vergil, I swear I will never let him near you again, if I have to fucking kill him.” He looked at you, as if he was searching for sincerity on your face, before nodding in gratitude.. You had never been so serious about something in your life. Vergil didn’t deserve the treatment you could only guess that he’d been through. If you could have chucked him into the ocean this very second, you would have. But despite everything, he still answered ‘no’ to your question of freedom every morning, so you respected his wishes.

“You should get yourself dry,” he said, “you humans tend to get sick when you remain wet for a period of time.”

You got up, wincing at the pain from your palm and you pushed up off of the wood, “I’ll be back soon, and I’ll bring you supper, any requests?”

“Not particularly, anything you wish shall be fine” he answered, his voice unexpectedly soft. You gave him a reassuring smile, and descended the stairs.

*****

You sat in a warm fluffy pj’s your hair still damp, but otherwise fully dry. You’d made his favourite for him, ramen, with some slices of leftover pork chop, which he slurped up greedily. He was still getting the hang of using utensils, but he was doing so much better. You snacked on a turkey sandwich, not feeling the urge to prepare anything more strenuous than that. Your hand had stopped bleeding, but still ached, and although it looked bad, with some ointment and some bandages, it would be more annoying than anything. You pulled up your medical supplies to tend with it, but then heard Vergil’s voice. 

“May I?” and after giving your approval, he gently took your hand, amazed as you spread the cream over the cut. He frowned, as he watched. “I thought it would have healed somewhat by now, if not as quickly as us”

“Nah,” you shrugged with your free shoulder as you reached for the wrapping that would keep it protected while you slept. “Although cuts on our hands heal pretty fast compared to other parts of our bodies, we just need to keep it covered so it has a chance to heal. It’s painful, but it’s not like a wound to the gut or anything.”

You began to wrap your hand, but somehow, Vergil took over, gently winding the cloth around your palm, taking care not to press down on the wound. The way his fingers softly grazed your knuckles.... You suddenly felt slightly warm at the touch.

“May I ask you a favour?” he asked as you placed the supplies back in the kit.

“Sure”

“Will you sleep here?” he said, tapping the platform. You paused, and watched to see if he was making a joke, but his face was serious. “It would put my mind at ease, after all that has transpired today” he requested earnestly.

“Of course” you responded, and relief flooded his face. “I’ll just have to get some more blankets and such, sleeping on bare wood is rather uncomfortable.”

So, several hours later, you were in a nest of blankets and pillows, lulled by the sound of water, on the cusp of sleep, when you heard the sound of water sloshing gently, and a cool hand caressing your cheek. Strangely, it didn’t yank you back into wakefulness, but instead calmed you down even more.

The last thing you heard before sleep truly claimed you was Vergil’s voice, barely a whisper.

“Sleep well,  _ Sifa _ ”


	8. Something to 'Tide' You Over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This little tidbit was prompted by an lovely anonymous Tumblr follower. And while I can't really form a whole chapter around it, I feel the burning need to insert into the story, but it has to be now, for .... narrative purposes. I know this is a poor substitute for a 'real' chapter, but rest assured, I am hard at work at the next one.

**Capernoited** \- Slightly intoxicated or tipsy.

_ Well, there’s one upside to that damned interminable wedding shower _ , you thought as you took another swig from the giant champagne bottle, before topping up the delicate glass flute beside you. The toaster, the Roomba, the breadmaker, none of those gifts compared to the high quality booze Sarah had gotten for you. Truly she knew the way to your heart.

It  _ was _ supposed to be for you and Fredrick to drink, but seeing as he was still away on business, you decided, for dealing with countless annoying relatives, you deserved to drink this… alone.

Well, not alone. Sipping slowly alongside you was Vergil, whose clumsy attempts at holding the stem weren’t due to tipsiness, but the fact he didn’t quite grasp (in more ways than one) the intricacies of holding a drinking vessel.

Your sober self would have been aghast at you sharing an intoxicating beverage with a man whose physiology you didn’t quite understand, but you were already slightly intoxicated when you arrived, and he had shown interest, so after showing him the custom of a toast, you both began to drink. At least he couldn’t judge you from drinking straight out of the bottle.

Still, you were concerned about his well being, “You doing alright there, Verg? Don’t know how this shit affects merfolk.”

“A slight tingling in my head, but aside from that,” he took another sip, “I feel perfectly alright.” He looked at the glass, entranced as the streams of bubbles floated up. “So this is what humans partake of during celebrations… I’ve seen a few gatherings on boats where they drink and fall over, and now I understand why”

“Yeah, a lot of humans are like that, we drink this stuff to feel good, or to just get away from the bad stuff.” You guzzled down some more. You’d have to make up some sort of lie to Sarah when she asked if you shared it with your fiance. “Don’t suppose you merfolk have anything that does the same thing?”

Vergil flushed, “Well, there’s a certain pufferfish, to the east, that when poked, releases a waft of something that makes us feel… giddy.” He looked everywhere but straight at your face. “....Not that I would ever partake in such mindless activities.”, he clarified.

“Holy Fuck Verg, you’re telling me you guys get high off of puffer fish pheremones?” You laughed as he turned even more red. “Thank god humans haven’t figured that one out, who knows what some stoner would do with it.”

“Stoner?”

“A person who likes to” you paused, trying to figure how to explain it in your now muddled mind, “well, they like to feel good by smoking stuff.”

“That explains why so many humans are placing burning leaves in their mouths.” He grimaced, and you giggled at his reaction.

You went to pick up the bottle again, but his clammy hand rested firmly on your forearm, “I think,” he said diplomatically, “you’ve had enough for tonight. Your behaviour, while entertaining, is quite out of character for you.”

“Aw Verg, you’re so sweet,” you attempted to place the resealable cap on the bottle, with the third attempt being successful, (and yeah, that meant you’d reached your limit) “looking out for me, I’m touched. I’ll leave that glass out for you to finish, and I guess I’ll head to bed and hope I don’t pay for it in the morning” You got up, wobbled a bit (and even while drunk, you noticed Vergil’s flash of panic), before making your way down the wooden steps.

But before you left, you turned around, and with a lopsided grin, blew him a kiss. “G’night, Vergil.”

Maybe you had drank too much, or maybe it was a trick of the light of the setting sun, but you could have sworn the merman turned crimson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yes, there is evidence where dolphins find a pufferfish, and agitate it to release a chemical, which they then pass to each other.


	9. Lost in Translation

You stood there, sweating half to death, as the priest droned on and on about “Mawage and Twoo Wuv” (he had a very noticeable lisp). You were stuffed into a corset that was much too tight, much too revealing, and your arms were itching from the taffeta. It was awkward and tedious, and you'd rather be anywhere else but here.

Fredrick stood in front of you, oblivious to your discomfort, beaming brightly, and for this reason alone you hadn't just picked up your floofy skirt and walked out.

“If anywon has any Owbjections to this union of man an wife, speak now, ow fowevew hold youw peace” The priest spoke out, and a moment of silence passed over the crowd.

In the distance, the sound of what seemed like barking dogs got louder, and louder..but they sounded odd.

arf! Arf! ARF!  **ARF!**

And then the heavy oak church doors burst open, revealing two massive sea lions, their entrance causing the congregation to scatter. Seagulls followed, squawking noisily. It was complete chaos.

In the centre of the storm, being pulled by the two sea lions, was a wagon with a large fish aquarium. It looked as if Cinderella's fairy godmother had drunk a little too much gin and tonic when granting her wish.

There, seated up to his waist in sloshing water, was Vergil, as handsome as ever, lounging back as if he was King of the Ocean, and looking very dapper with his blue bow-tie that matched his scales. On his wrists were matching cuffs, which on any other man, would look like a knock off Chippendale's dancer, but just added to his good looks.

The pinnipeds made their way to the steps leading up to the altar and stopped. Vergil, calmly and with great conviction spoke loud enough for the priest and the wedding party to hear.

“I object”

“Now listen here,” Fredrick's father, red with fury attempted to say something, but Vergil shot him a glare that could have cut diamonds. The man turned pale, and stepped back, hiding behind his wife. (she was wearing a garish fox stole over a white dress)

Vergil's glare vanished when he saw your face, “Please, my love.... will you choose me instead?”

You needed no other persuasion, as you launched yourself at the man, for a passionate kiss. Vaguely, you could hear your mother shriek “THE DRESS!” but you couldn't care less as you leapt into the tank with him, and with a sound that reminded you of a dolphin click, Vergil commanded the lumbering beasts to turn around and pull the wagon out of the church, leaving the congregation flummoxed at what just happened.

You, on the other hand, were the happiest woman alive......

*****

You awoke, your eyes wide in the early morning darkness. You could still feel the pressure/pain of the corset squeezing your ribs, despite the fact you were wearing dry, loose fluffy pj’s. The sickening sweet smell of lilacs still lingered in your nose. It had been so realistic...but it had all been a dream.

_ So, why did you feel so disappointed? That the wedding was still going ahead as planned? Or… _

You looked over to the surface of the water, almost as smooth as glass, reflecting the dawn sky, purples, pinks and oranges giving the water the appearance of being made of flame. And at the edge of the inferno, his head resting in crossed arms on the platform, was Vergil, softly dozing. He must have been asleep for some time, as his hair was dry and swept back, aside from a few unruly strands that fell over his face in defiance. His face looked calm, almost peaceful, and you idly wondered if that was how he truly was in the wild. The more you admired this side of him, the more you…

_ Oh _

_Oh_ _no…_

_ You loved him. _

The realization hit you like a tidal wave, threatening to pull you down into an endless vortex of emotions, both good and bad.

With Fredrick, you felt like you were separated emotionally by a pane of thick glass that could never be shattered. He’d listen to your problems, but everything was just a credit card swipe, or a written check away from being solved in his mind. He respected you as a person, but as a partner? Never.

Contrast this to Vergil, who while most of the time, was literally separated from you by a pane of glass, had gotten closer to you than anyone ever had. You’d laughed with him, discussed human and merfolk culture, tried foods, and built up a closer bond with him, closer than only a few other people  including Fredrick . And now, you were growing feelings for him.

Which led to the turmoil. You knew there were several roadblocks to your feelings. First was the fact that you were human, and he was a merman. Despite the fairy tails, something like him turning into a human was an impossibility (and the fact there was no way in hell Vergil would ever want to).

And you were certain that he would never reciprocate your feelings. He might be cordial, even friendly with you, but the fact was: he was your prisoner. Anything he would feel would be tainted by the fact that he could never escape, despite him denying your requests to free him every morning. (You still didn’t know why he said no, but you remember Doctor Griffon had something called a ‘leash’, did it have anything to do with that?)

This wasn’t right. You shouldn’t feel this way. You were practically a married woman, only a month and a half to go. Fredrick would be home soon, and the final preparations were already in progress. You couldn’t hurt your fiance like this, you couldn’t hurt yourself, and you certainly couldn’t hurt Vergil.

So, you made up your mind, you needed to set him free. But if he kept saying no…. Well, you’d find a way to convince him, or find a way to get him home. That way, he’d be happy and free.

_ Even if it broke your heart…. _

A slight splash took you out of your morose thoughts to see the still sleepy, yet piercing grey eyes watching you curiously. His head was cocked to the side, and for a brief moment you panicked, terrified that mind reading was another merfolk ability. But you needn't have worried, as he gave you a small smile.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked, and you faked a smile, masking everything you felt at the moment.

“Never better” It wasn’t a lie. Even after the emotional rollercoaster you had been on yesterday, and the most awkward dream (you were pretty sure merfolk couldn’t command sea life), you felt more refreshed than you had in months. You looked up at the skylight, still flooding the room with burnished bronze.

“I don’t usually wake up at the crack of dawn, it feels weird,” you stretched and yawned. You got up to make some breakfast, (bacon did sound delish right now), but his hand gripped your forearm, causing you to freeze. Oh god, merely his touch, which once had been easily brushed off, now had the ability to stop you dead in your tracks.

“I... “ he asked, attempting to put words into a sentence, “I haven’t seen the Dawnfather rise in a very long time, not since my capture,” your chest caved in at that realization. He’d spent most likely a year or more trapped indoors, and the fact that he hadn’t gone insane was a miracle in itself. A lightbulb went off in your head. Perhaps, even if he declined your offer of freedom, there might be a way.

“Hey Vergil,” you asked hesitatingly, unsure if he'd get offended, “I have an idea…. I, uh… how averse you are to be being carried?”

******

A few minutes later, you and him were sitting on your back patio, with him wrapped in a wet towel. Surprisingly, despite his size he wasn’t too heavy to lift, and other than him being a bit slippery, you’d managed to carry him as if he was a fishy bride out of the house, and into the fresh air. All nervousness you had about him being insulted at being carried around like a prized tuna vanished as he let the first rays of sun hit his face. His eyes closed, his breathing stopped to nearly nothing, and for a moment, you’d thought he’d fallen asleep, but then… he smiled. It was soft, gentle, and absolutely genuine.

  
“It has been far too long,” he murmured. To himself, or you, you had no idea. It just made you feel so happy to see him look so content. You let him sit in the late dawn light in silence for a few minutes, just soaking in the natural light and air, fearing that reminding him of your presence would shatter the moment of calm. While he’d smiled at you before, this was unlike anything he’d done before. Was he like this in real life, out of captivity? Or was it just the reaction to being outside his little prison for once? 

“I… I can bring you out more often, now that the weather is much better,” you stammered, “Or if you’d like I could just let you go back home…” the sentence hung in the air, lingering for a moment, before being blown away. 

“While I appreciate the offer, I must still decline,” his smile did not abate as he looked at you, but there was something different about it, some sort of sadness?  _ What was he hiding? _

A robin chirped and landed a few metres away from the patio, pecking at the dewy soil, before breaking out into a song, as it’s mate came down to join it. Vergil watched in fascination as the two of them hopped and sang to each other, in a cute ritual of courtship. 

“Do all birds do this?” he queried, “we do not see them very often on the open ocean, they’re usually either feeding or en route to a new location. Their cries are not as musical, or perhaps they do not sing while on the wing.”

“Not all, some use their plumage to attract their mate, some do dances, some sing, and some do all three” you explained, watching as the birds flew off in tandem, before disappearing into the branches of a nearby spruce tree. You closed your eyes, enjoying the first rays of sun, and listened to the distant chirping and song. For once, there was no wedding preparation, no business deals, just you, nature….and your feelings for the man beside you. You attempted to shove those intrusive thoughts back into the deep recesses of your mind, including the latter. ESPECIALLY the latter.

A beautiful melodious sound seeped into your ears, one that confused you. No bird that you knew of had that crystal clear tenor song. Perhaps you were just imagining it? You slowly opened your eyes, worried that it would be carried away like a dream upon waking. In the clear sunlight you saw what it was coming from, and you were entranced. Not a bird, nor the wind, nor a tune coming from your cell phone.

It was Vergil. Singing.

_ Isil shem’ore _

_ Isil lin’ore _

_ Mira pharar, mira ofar, mira kanar, _

_ D’rashana karif’ore _

_ Isil dilshonin sa oplalim _

_ Sa kintal o sa polim _

_ Sa racarto shipal o sa whelik _

_ Nekalin parand’ore fa pishim _

_ Ah, mira sifa, mira sifa _

_ Winik fa pishim lin’more. _

His eyes remained closed as he finished the haunting melody, leaving everything else seeming muted and drab in comparison. You let the silence linger for a few moments, hoping against hope that perhaps he would go into another verse. And also because you had to take a minute to keep the tears from flowing. You didn’t want to give him the wrong opinion of why you were crying.

“That was…. beautiful,” you slowly spoke, just above a whisper, as you quickly wiped your eyes. Vergil smiled at you, just like he had when he had taken his first breath of fresh air, and you felt yourself heat up, and you hoped it was because of the intensifying sunbeams. “That was Old Mer, right? Do you mind giving me a rough translation of it?”

He cocked his head and averted his eyes, and for a brief moment you thought you had overstepped your bounds. “It’s… an ode to the rising of the Dawnfather, a celebratory song.”    
“You know,” you joked, “we have legends of the alluring sound of merfolk, whose entrancing songs would lure ships to their doom. I guess there’s a kernel of truth in that.”

“Well, we never wished to draw attention to ourselves” he explained, “but when you humans are spending multiple cycles alone on your ships, I suppose any source of singing could be considered captivating”

You laughed of the mental image of some poor godforsaken sailors being lured in by a bunch of mermen singing the equivalent of a raunchy ballad. “Well, it’s absolutely gorgeous, would you mind singing it again? I mean,” catching yourself, “if it isn’t against your customs or anything.”

He chuckled, and closed his eyes, and with that, began singing again, just as beautiful as before. The only thing that worried you was that he was turning a bit red. You hoped that his stay indoors for such a long time wouldn’t cause him to sunburn.

******

So, for the next few weeks, you’d added a new habit to your morning routine. You’d wake up earlier every morning, wrap him up in a wet towel and carry him to the back patio to soak up the sunshine. Occasionally, you’d cook up some breakfast to bring out to him, sometimes you’d just sit out and enjoy the mid spring air. And every so often, he’d start singing. Sometimes that song, sometimes others, but they were all beautiful. You really liked those times. You tried to bottle those feelings you had for him, but you couldn’t help it, his smile and singing would reel you back into admiring him.

But not today. You awoke to a deafening bang, and as you sluggishly panicked for a few moments, thinking an accident happened, before a flash of light from outside made you realize there was no issue, it was merely a thunderstorm.

You padded out, cheap instant coffee in a mug (despite your father’s insistence that you could afford better, your fellow college students had introduced you to your addiction) to the platform to see Vergil already primed and ready to go outside. There was electricity in the air, and not from the storm.

“Sorry, looks like the weather’s not great for our usual get together.” you apologized, but his eyes seemed different, eager.

“I don’t mind storms, in fact, I enjoy them very much” he replied, “If you are not against the idea, I would like to experience it first hand.”

So, you sat there, soaked to the skin within a few minutes as the rain poured down. You didn’t mind, especially when you saw the look on his face as the rain and wind hit him. With the sun, he had seemed the very picture of contentment. But with the storm, he looked practically ecstatic. There would be no singing today, especially with the howling of the wind and the roaring of the thunder drowning out everything, but you were willing to put your selfish desires away to watch him truly enjoy himself.

“It’s nice to have someone to enjoy the storm with,” you spoke, “my mother was always terrified of the things, father was always too busy, and my friends thought I was crazy to go outside during times like this.”

“I have always enjoyed storms, the sharp divide between the calm of the ocean, and the chaos when one breaks through the surface” he responded, a nostalgic smile on his face, “my brother and I would enjoy these times as finlings, seeing who could stay above the surface the longest before being swamped by waves.”

“Your brother?” you stiffened at the revelation. In all the months you’d known Vergil, he’d never divulged anything about his family. You’d never asked, letting him have as much privacy as you could give him, but you’d always wondered. If there were family members, perhaps you could contact them, to find a way to free him safely.

“Yes,” his smile faded, “had you told me that I would miss his annoying presence, I would have said you had been playing with the pufferfish for far too long. But now…”

“You had a falling out?” you probed gently.

“I suppose that would be putting it lightly,” he grimly explained, “you would have liked him, he was much more friendly with humanity than I ever was, even after….”

“Vergil, you don’t have to tell me anything, if you don’t feel comfortable,” you slowly told him, even though you were dying to know about this mysterious family member.

“No,” he replied firmly, his eyes going as hard as the driving rain, “you deserve to know this, after all this time,” and despite being soaked to the bone, and beginning to feel a chill, you focused intently on him.

“I resided with my brother, and my mother and father, most of the time to the north, where there were once innumerable fish. A few seasons ago,” he paused, refusing to face you, “a ship with one of those infernal nets that scoured the bottom of the ocean passed through, and despite my parents best efforts to evade it, they both got caught up in it.” he took another deep breath, and you held yours. “By the time my brother and I were able to cut through the ropes, it was too late, both were suffocated by the mass of fish that crushed them.” His hand went out and began to draw on the sole dry part of the wood, sheltered by the awning. “The ship had an unusual design on its hull, instead of the figure of the merfolk in better times, it was three marks…” he drew them out with his wet finger, three circles, one for each corner of a triangle, a jagged line connecting them. Your heart sank.  _ The official logo of Mundus Inc. _ “I was furious, I would have sworn to wipe out every damn ship off the surface of the ocean at that very moment. But,” he pulled up his fins, hugging them close, “I knew that was impossible, so I decided to destroy every ship that carried that cursed mark. My brother, Dante, soft hearted as he always was, told me that going on a rampage ‘wouldn’t bring mom and dad back’ as he said, but my anger clouded my judgement, so when he attempted to stop me, we fought. It was a vicious battle, but in the end, I was victorious.”

“You didn’t...” you asked, horrified.

“No, I did not kill him, I’d already lost my parents, I was not going to destroy my last blood relation. We merely went our separate ways. Although,” he sighed as the wind and rain began to wind down, “perhaps it would have been better had I lost to him, captivity can be rather humiliating,” he turned to you, his smile returning, “at least it hasn’t been as bad as I had feared. I met you, after all.”

You flushed at his compliment, and you hoped he didn’t notice. His disdain for your father, and humanity in general now made perfect sense. Guilt by association flooded you. The fact he even tolerated you was more than you deserved for what the company you were about to take over had done. And now to add insult to injury, he was being kept prisoner by the killer of his parents. How he had restrained himself from strangling you these past few months was nothing short of amazing.  _ The leash….. _ Perhaps that was the key to it all. 

You shivered, partially out of the thought of how he must have hated you, and partially at how chilly you felt, now that the storm was over.

“Are you cold,  _ Sifa? _ ” his voice intruded into your despondent thoughts. You looked up, to see him watching you in what seemed to be concern.

“A little…” you admitted, before the thought of what he said, “Sifa? What does that mean?”

Vergil was taken aback, as if he didn’t realize he spoke the word, before cautiously answering, “It’s an old mer term… it means, ‘human’. Not in a derogatory term though,” he clarified as you picked him up to bring him back into the warmth of your home, “more of a nickname. You do not mind…?”

“I like it! It sounds so beautiful!” you exclaimed. Vergil’s reaction seemed to be one of relief, which was odd.

You came back, dressed in dry clothes, and with some time to think. Perhaps, there was a way to get Vergil to the freedom that he so desperately craved.

Toweling your hair as Vergil scarfed down a plateful of sardines, you ventured, “Vergil, do you think your brother would want to know how you’re doing?” 

He froze, brows furrowed as he thought hard about it. “He is fairly easy going, slow to anger, and quick to forgive,” he chuckled mirthlessly “a bit too quickly in my opinion.”

He seemed amenable to the idea of reconciling with his brother, so maybe… “If there was a way to contact him, to let him know you’re still okay, how would I be able to give him the message?”

There was an agonizing period of silence, before Vergil slowly reached for the amulet that was around his neck. To your astonishment, he took it off and handed it to you, like it was the most precious thing to him. 

“This was a gift from our parents, I was given one, and Dante the other. It was a way for us, being twins to ‘sense’ each other’s presence. Taking this to the ocean should alert him to me, and if he is amenable to a reconciliation, he will come.” He looked at you, his gaze hard and fixed. “This information is not to be revealed to anyone aside from him.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Vergil, I’m honoured that you trust me enough with this” and he softened, smiling at you, “I swear to you,” you firmly proclaimed “I’ll keep this secret safe.”

*****

It was the third day you had taken out your personal sailboat out into the bay. The fates could not have aligned better. The weather was perfect for sailing, the last of the wedding preparations had been completed, and your father was still out on business, leaving you with days of free time. And due to it being mid week, any nosy pleasurecraft were nowhere to be seen. 

Well, it would have been perfect, if the guest of honour had shown up. Three days you’d been sailing, looking like Captain Ahab searching for your Moby Dick, except he hadn’t appeared. You’d spend all morning, docking around noon for a quick lunch and a phone call to Fredrick (He was planning to come home with your father, but business would keep him in Japan until the very last moment, much to your dismay), before heading back out, sailing far enough from the shore to give you some privacy, but close enough to the shallows so that it was safe for your small vessel.

Each day ended the same, with you coming home, looking at Vergil despondantly, shaking your head and handing back the amulet for him to keep for the night. Your failure seemed to affect him as well, and you could have sworn his tail was losing its newly regained lustre. But he would always seem to be hopeful when he handed it back to you the next morning.

So, this afternoon was no different as you fingered the precious gem around your neck. It felt wrong to wear it like that, but he had assured you that he didn’t mind, and besides, it would be less likely to get lost.

The only difference was that instead of eating a sandwich, or a smoothie, you had treated yourself, and bought yourself a pizza. So you sailed around the cove, humming the tune that Vergil had sung for you, attempting to take your mind off the fact that you’d seen neither fin nor gill of his brother. Part of you worried that perhaps this Dante wasn’t as forgiving as Vergil had said he was, or worse, he’d been captured as well....

**PHUNK!**

You lurched forward, nearly face first into the wheel, as the boat lurched to a stop. You picked yourself up, attempting to figure out what went wrong. You hadn’t hit anything, as the sudden stop didn’t feel like something blocking the boat, more like something pulling it. You quickly checked your anchor, assuming that perhaps in your worry, you were unaware that you had set the anchor by accident. But nope, the metal contraption still lay on the stern deck, the chain only mildly disturbed from the sudden stop.

_ Perhaps kelp?  _ You closed the box of pizza, before grabbing your jackknife to cut whatever obstruction was holding your boat back. Heading to the stern, you crouched down to see what the hell was going on. You’d passed this area before, and never had any issues, and yup, even in this shallow water, you couldn’t see much vegetation, let alone anything that could snag your boat. Taking a deep breath, you plunged your head into the water to get a better look.

  
Of all the things you were expecting, a pair of eyes, white hair, and brilliant red scales wasn’t what that. You stared shocked for a few seconds, a few dumbfounded bubbles blurping out of your mouth, before the man’s (who aside from fin colour, looked like a carbon copy of Vergil) hands reached out, and with a vise like grip on your shoulders, yanked you clear off the deck.

You panicked at the sudden submergment and began flailing wildly, but his hands never loosened.

All you could hear, over the stream of terrified bubbles that contained your screams, was a voice echoing through your skull.

_ Where the Hell is my brother? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THERE, NOW ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ASKING ME WHAT 'SIFA' MEANS NOW KNOW!  Or do you...?
> 
> Also, some of you might be wondering "Hey? I thought Vergil referred to the Sun as the "Tidefather", not "Dawnfather"
> 
> To which I say, pay no attention to the woman writer who is frantically changing the terminology.


	10. The Pieces (of Pizza) Fit

_ Where the Hell is my brother? _

The voice, full of rage, nearly gave you a migraine as you struggled to get out of the unyielding grip. _Slow to anger, my ass_ , you brain unhelpfully supplied to you as you frantically tried to get out of his grasp. At the same time, the clock was ticking as your oxygen levels depleted and your lungs protested. _Great job,_ your brain continued, _trying to get your crush (_ ** _NOT MY CRUSH_** you corrected ** _)_** _to safety, only to get killed by the one man you thought could save him._ If it weren’t for the fact that you kinda needed your brain to remain alive, you’d attempt to shut the damn thing off.

_ WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM? _

His grip tightened, and you could have heard an angry growl in the water, instead of in your head. And just when you felt like you couldn't take any more, you were pulled out of the water. You tried to take a breath of precious air, terrified that he’d dunk you back in, but he slammed you into the hull, knocking any remaining air out of you. Your head whacked painfully on the fiberglass frame, and your vision turned black for a moment. Your jacknife slipped out of your wet hands, and into the depths, leaving you nigh defenseless.

“I swear to the Tidemother, if you have touched a hair on his head, I’ll drag you to the deepest fucking depths of the ocean, and let the scavengers eat your corpse.”

You tried to respond, tried to tell him that you meant him no harm, but his face was full of fury, and now he gripped your neck in his webbed hands. Your hands latched on to his wrist, in a futile attempt to break free, but all you managed to do was to jostle the amulet free from under your shirt. 

The glint of gold must have attracted his attention because he loosened his grip slightly allowing you to gasp out for air. Perhaps he recognized it as a sign that Vergil trusted you.

That idea went out the window as he snarled, and suddenly you were lifted up and thrown back onto the deck, sliding a metre and a half across the wood. 

You barely had time to reorient yourself before you heard a massive splash, a crushing weight on your torso, and most worryingly of all, the cold, sharp tip of metal at your throat. Your vision rapidly cleared, you saw him on top of you, teeth bared, reared back, with an honest to God sword pointed at your throat. ( _ Where the hell did that come from?  _ your brain asked unhelpfully)

“I don’t go after humans,” his icey voice chilled you to the bone, “But for you…” the sword tip moved slightly to lift the amulet up, “I’ll gladly make an exception. Where. Is. He.”

_ “Help…”  _ you managed to croak.

“Bit too late to be begging for help, babe” he sardonically replied.

You shook your head, and slowly grabbed the amulet, intending somehow to take it off, before, surprisingly it easily unlatched itself. Sparing a quick glance at it as you cautiously slid it to the side, you were perplexed that there was no clasp, no broken chain... _ magic? _

No time to ruminate about it, you took another breath of air, praying that it wouldn’t be your last.

_ “Help….him” _

Confusion flooded Dante’s face, as to your relief, he withdrew his weapon away from the hollow of your throat as he snatched the chain and scooted away from you. You took this precious moment to catch your breath, heaving in and out and when you had recovered some of your strength, you rolled over to see Dante clutching the amulet to his chest, a matching one in silver and red around his neck, his eyes shut tight. The sword was gone, and you were beginning to think your lack of oxygen had caused you to hallucinate it.

A good minute passed as you watched him, neither one of you moving an inch. What he was doing with it, you had no idea. You slowly backed up, you didn’t want to hurt him if he attacked again, you just wanted to convince him that you truly wanted his help. 

And then, out of nowhere, the merman laughed. It wasn’t a soft chuckle like his brother’s, but it didn’t seem dangerous. 

“Oh bro… you’re such an idiot…” he bent his head over the necklace, his wet hair obscuring most of his face, leaving only a toothy smile, “You know, once I get your tail fins out of there, I’m never gonna let you forget this, right?” You weren’t sure if he was talking to the gem, his brother, or himself.

He brushed his hair to the side, allowing you to see his face. It was much kinder than before, if a bit embarrassed. “I…. eh, sorry ‘bout that, kinda swam out before checking the current, you know what I mean? Mom always told me I was a bit impulsive. You okay?”

“Yeah…” your voice was raspy, but felt much better “Wait, did you just know what happened just by holding that?” you pointed at the chain, dangling in his hand.

“Well, I got the gist of it, it’s not like we can send messages like you humans do in your little things you carry around constantly, but it can give me a bubbleful of information.” He chuckled, “So, my brother’s been captured and being kept as a pet, but you’re a friend of his.” 

Your heart warmed up at the fact that Vergil, despite everything, considered you worthy of friendship. You hoped that you could be on friendly terms with his brother. So you did the thing that worked with Vergil. Grabbing the cardboard box that had fallen to the deck in the kerfuffle, and opened it up.

“Want a piece?”

The way his nostrils flared and his eyes widened at the sight, you realized you had made the correct decision.

*****

“So, Verg says to me. ‘Brother, I wager you ten cordina to get on that boat and grab something from it’...” Dante regaled you as he worked on his fifth slice of pizza, savouring every mouthful. His imitation of his brother was quite on the nose. He lounged on the sunny side of the deck, still shielded from prying eyes by the way you tilted the sail, as you anchored the boat.

“And I says ‘you’re on!’ and I scope out this boat full of guys playing loud music. I’m looking for a way to sneak on the damn boat, but there’s waaaay too many people dancing or something. But I’ll do anything to prove my bro wrong, so I wait. And Wait. And Wait. But when the Dawnfather was just about to rise, everyone finally fell asleep. So I flop on board, and I’m terrified that I’ll wake up someone, but everyone is really sleeping, like if it wasn’t for those funny noises you guys make when you sleep, I’d think they were dead. I grab the first thing I see, one of these,” he held up the half eaten slice, “and I bring it to Verg, and he grumbly pays off the bet. But,” he finished off the slice, “what’s weird, this stuff was the real prize. Vergil could have offered me a hundred cordina for that one piece, and I’d have said no…. It was so fucking delicious. And now you come along with a whole box of this…”   
“Pizza” 

“Mmmm… Pizza…” he picked up another slice and stretched out the cheese. “I gotta say, this is why I like you humans, you come out with some pretty delicious food. It’s hard to make this stuff when you are surrounded by water.”

You smiled. Vergil had said they were twins, and while they looked very similar, (aside from scale colour) their personalities couldn’t possibly be any more different. While Vergil was calm, composed, and contemplative Dante was brash, bombastic, and brazen. Vergil was disdainful of humanity, (although you couldn’t really blame him), while Dante seemed to enjoy the quirks humans had. But strangely, despite his totally different personality, you liked him, though not in the same way as his brother.

“So, you want to get my brother back to the open waters, eh?” He had emptied the box of its contents, and was now licking his fingers for any remnants of melted cheese. 

“Yes, and I need your help to make sure he gets as far away as possible, and doesn’t try to do something that’s liable to get him captured again.”

“That I can do… although I can hardly believe that he actually regrets not listening to me. You sure he said that?”

“Pretty much…”

Dante went a bit serious… “Okay, it should be simple. You get him to the ocean...let’s say,” he scanned the horizon, before pointing at the beach that lay next to the suspension bridge that linked both sides of the bay. “Right there. Should be when the next time the Tidemother shows her full face, that’ll give you enough light to see, to slip him out, and also the tide will be up, making the trek to the water’s edge as simple as possible. I’ll be waiting, and I’ll drag him by the tail fins out of here, if I have to…. and knowing Vergil, that’s probably literally, not figuratively speaking.”

“That simple?” you were perplexed. Surely there had to be more, or else Vergil would have been dropped off a long time ago,  before you had time to develop feelings for him . 

“Should be, I mean, you come across any trouble, he can probably use Yamato to get rid of any problems.” He now was scraping the melted cheese off the bottom of the box, and you were worried that if you didn’t stop him, he’d just eat the entire thing, cardboard and all.

“Yamato?” you’d never heard that term before. 

Dante dropped the box, looking alarmed, “Wait, he hasn’t shown you Yamato?” his eyebrows shot up, “okay, that makes sense on why he’s been stuck… he doesn’t have his, …. um….” he cocked his head in thought, “I guess a rough translation would be ‘soul-weapon.’” You shook your head. Vergil had never mentioned anything about a weapon.

Dante continued, “I don’t really know how you humans see your souls, but the gist is, everyone of us has a weapon that’s intrinsically connected with our soul, our very being.” He rubbed his head, “some of us have harpoons, others daggers, even have a few with a trident. Me on the other hand…” his hand waved out, and instantly, in a red flash, appeared a sword. You hadn’t imagined it! “This is Rebellion, ain’t she a beaut?” 

You had to agree. It was a long solid sword, with what seemed to be a stylized human skull at the crossguard, but with shark teeth poking out from where the eyes were, as well as embedded into the ricasso of the blade. It definitely was intimidating. “So, a brief summary of how we look at our lives. Us Merfolk see life like the way water moves. Water flows throughout the ocean, until the Dawnfather decides it is time for it to ascend, and so the water becomes the clouds above, before raining back down and eventually rejoining the ocean. It’s a cycle.”

“Ah,” you nodded, “like reincarnation”

“I guess?” Dante shrugged, “the philosophy of it all was all mom’s and Verg’s thing. Anyways,” he looked at Rebellion, “like I said, the weapon is linked to our soul, and if anything happens to it, it’s like someone took a bucketful of that water and just locked it away, never able to return to the ocean, or repeat the cycle. And it’s irreversible, a fate worse than death.”

Instantly, your mind went back to something similar Vergil had said all those months ago, and you remembered the ‘leash’ the good Doctor had in a long slender briefcase. The pieces were beginning to fit.

“I mean, it’s hard to damage one of these, but it can be done, and most likely there’s the connection that's the issue.”

“The connection?”

“You can’t stray too far from your weapon, that’s why if you get too far, SNAP,” Rebellion dissipated in a shower of sparks. “It’s the same as if the weapon got destroyed. Somebody probably got a hold of Yamato, and you got lucky that they haven’t gone too far with it, or they know that they can use it over him.” his brow furrowed. “On the bright side, it means it can’t be too far from where he is right now, so you won’t have to search too far. But on the other hand… I’m still trying to figure out why he never told you about this…” he seemed honestly puzzled , “I mean, he trusted you enough with the amulet.”   
It worried you too. Was Vergil too proud to ask a mere human, even one he was on good terms with for aid? If he had just asked, you would have dropped everything to find and get this Yamato back for him.  It would have saved you a lot of heartache.

“I think..” you said, “I know where his sword would be.” The warehouse. It was the only building Doctor Griffon could possibly keep the ‘leash’. It wouldn’t be hard to get to, you had keys and codes for all the buildings on the property.

“Good!” his face brightened, “you get that sword to him, and you bring him here, and I can get him out. Easy as swimming!”

“Yeah… easy as swimming” You attempted to match his enthusiasm.

“You know, you’re a good person. Vergil has never been too close with humans, especially after mom and dad… well,” his features fell, “I thought I lost him too… was halfway about to follow him on a suicidal attack. When I felt the amulet,” he clutched it tightly in his hand, “I thought that he’d escaped, and when I found out it was a human, I just… I just snapped.” 

“You don’t have to apologise, Dante. He’s your brother, after all.”

“Well, he’s a lucky son-of-a-barnacle to have an Odar like you, Dawnfather knows what would have happened to him if he didn’t meet you.”

You were slightly confused, “Odar? Never heard that term.”

“Ah, keep forgetting you’re not familiar with Old Mer. Basically a term for a human, but in a good way” he clarified.   
“Oh,” you murmured, mostly to yourself. “That’s not what Vergil calls me.”

“Ah? What does he call you? It better not be ‘Chiktik’, or I’ll be punching him in the face when he gets back.”

“He calls me… Sifa.”

There were a few moments of silence, with only the gentle lapping of water against the hull, and the flap of the sail in the breeze. Dante just stared at you, jaw dangling, looking exactly like a moray eel. And then, to your astonishment… he just started laughing.

“Verg… of all the mer… well, I guess the polyp doesn’t drift too far from the coral. Mom would be proud of you.”

“What do you mean?”

“He seriously hasn’t told you what it meant?”

“Vergil said it meant, ‘human,’” you answered and the red scaled merman cackled before looking up to you with a big grin. 

“You really want to know what it means?”

You bit your lower lip, afraid to know, but yet still intrigued, and after some hesitation, you nodded.

“There’s not a perfect translation, but basically, it means ‘Beloved’. It’s a term you only use… well, for someone you really care about. Someone…” he paused, as if for emphasis. “You love.”

It was a good thing you were already sitting, because your legs began to feel like jelly, numbness spreading to your chest.

“He can’t…” you managed to wheeze out.

“Why not?” Dante asked.

“I’m basically his jailor! There’s no possible way he could be truly in love with me!” You tried to protest. But to your dawning horror, you realized a whole plethora of signs that he had been developing feelings for you. The songs, the glances, the gentle touches. Your head sank into your hands as you stared at the wood. How could you have been so stupid? How could you have been so blind? 

_ Or...maybe you had known, you just didn’t want to accept the truth. _

“Well,” Dante added unhelpfully, “you don’t just call  _ anyone  _ Sifa, it's a fairly dedicated term, and Vergil wouldn’t just call you that if he didn’t mean it.” He slipped back into the water gracefully, apparently oblivious to the turmoil that he had inadvertently caused.

“But there’s no way it would work between us! I mean,” you pointed at your legs “we’re not even the same species!”

His response was to laugh. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was Vergil’s brother, you’d have clobbered him for his continued ignorance about how much this affected you. “I don’t really think that’s much of an issue, but that’s not for me to say,” he responded cryptically. “I’m sure Verg can fill you in.” 

And with that, he slipped back into the water, leaving you staring at the trail of bubbles.

No, you were not going to speak to Vergil about any of this. You were going to keep this whole revelation to yourself, and focus on locating that sword and then getting him home. It would be painful, but it was for the best for both of you. That’s what you kept telling yourself.

Without warning, the water opened up again to reveal the smiling visage of Dante, his hand outstretched, holding your jackknife, and his own amulet, keeping the golden one around his neck. “Meetcha when the Tidemother is at her highest point when she shows her full face! Good luck!” and after handing the blade and the silver amulet to you, he swam off, as if he didn’t have a care in the world, leaving you alone with your turbulent thoughts.

  
  


*****

You returned back home, to see an expectant Vergil poised at the edge of the platform. His eyes widened as you nodded and handed him the silver amulet, proof that you’d finally met his elusive brother. He clutched it tightly, and for a moment you panicked, wondering if he was somehow able to look into the latest conversation you and Dante had. But when he opened his eyes, they were full of relief and happiness.

“Ah, so he is well.” He leaned back in the water as he placed the chain around his neck, “That is good, that is good.”

You attempted to add some sort of joviality, “He thinks you’re an idiot for getting yourself captured.”

Vergil chuckled, “That  _ does _ sound like him. But at least he’s alright…” he turned to you, smiling gratefully. “Thank You, Sifa.”

You successfully managed to hide the pain that word caused you as you gave him your best grin.

_ “Anything for you, Vergil” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are hitting the home stretch, only a few more chapters to go!


	11. Father Knows Best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up, there's gonna be some emotionally uncomfortable moments happening here, especially if you've had experiences with less than stellar parents. Nothing outright abusive, but not that great.

The young man opened the door for you as you slowed to a stop under the alcove. He was impeccably dressed, and smiled professionally as he took your keys from you.

While he got in the driver's seat, you straightened your dress, your purse, and stiffened your posture. You’d gone so long without makeup, that by just putting it on this afternoon, you felt that old shot of confidence you felt when you first tried it as a teenager. And today, you’d need all the confidence you could muster.

Vergil that evening had seen you just before you headed out, and a couple of weeks ago, you’d have not batted an eyelash at his reaction. But now? With the knowledge that you’d gained?

“ _ You look lovely, _ ” he had said as you approached the glass. He’d been swimming lazy laps around, and stopped dead in his tracks, (or was it in mid stroke?) when he’d seen you, and you instantly flushed. Ever since your meeting with Vergil’s rambunctious sibling, every word, action, and smile was now interpreted under a filter of the feelings he felt for you. 

_ Or was it now all unfiltered? _

“Thank you Vergil,” you smiled as you put on your heels, (ugh, how you detested the things) and checked your makeup in the mirror one more time.

“ _ What is the occasion _ ?”

“Well, my father,” you could swear you saw him tense up, “has finally come home from his business venture, and has invited me out for dinner, so I have to dress up a bit, to keep up appearances.”

“ _ You don’t seem to be looking forward to this _ ”

Drat, the merman was far too observant for his own good. “Well, meetings with my father tend to have the added pressure of him mixing his business in everything, so I always kind of feel tense at these gatherings.”

_ “Will your future bondmate be there? Perhaps he will be able to smooth things out for you. _ ”

You glanced down at the engagement ring that fit snugly around your finger. Was it just you, or did it feel heavier nowadays? And had the pink diamonds lost their sparkle?   
“Unfortunately, he’ll be gone for another week,”

“ _ But isn’t your bonding ceremony very soon?” _   
“Yeah, he’s gonna cut it real close…” you chuckled without any sort of happiness as you placed your handbag strap over your shoulder.

“ _ Sifa?” _

That damnable name. You should have asked him to stop, he would have acquiesced, if reluctantly. But you’d been selfish, and you liked the meaning behind it, so you let the tragic charade play out. But it wouldn’t be much longer now…

You summoned all your acting skills and pasted on a smile. “It’s just the stress of planning this whole thing, I’m glad it’s almost over.” You looked up at the clock, “Shoot, looks like I’m cutting it close now too, gotta go! Seeya later Vergil!” And you practically ran out the door, as fast as the wobbly shoes could take you.

“Ah, good to see you miss,” the maitre’d smiled graciously at you as you walked in, before grabbing a menu, “Your father is waiting for you, this way please.” You followed him to one of the private rooms.  _ Thank God, _ you thought. You needed the much needed privacy for your conversation this evening.

“SWEETHEART!” Your father bellowed as he got out of his chair, and threw his arms around you in an embrace that you honestly had to admit you really missed. “How is my wonderful daughter doing? It feels like ages since I saw you last,” he sat down as a waiter refilled his glass of water, and then filled yours. He had a bowl of clam chowder in front of him, and at your place, there was an appetizer sized bowl of chicken caesar salad, “I took the liberty of ordering it for you, it’s always been your favourite. Now,” he said as he placed his spoon into the creamy concoction, “let’s enjoy this long overdue father-daughter date!”

“So, your future father-in-law was so busy showing me his gun collection that he forgot to set the timer on the oven, so I says to him ‘Jerry, you smell something burning?’ and he starts cursing in both English AND Japanese as we both race to the oven.” Your father dug into the roast baby potatoes “mmm, I missed this… Rice is no substitute to the humble tuber. Anyways, he and I open it up and it’s like the literal gates of hell with all the smoke pouring out. Couldn’t get the smell of burning bread out for weeks! And the poor loaf,” he looked genuinely mournful. “Snatched away far too soon, before it could even fulfil its destiny”

You couldn’t help but giggle at his dramatic re-enactment as you chewed a biteful of tortellini. Your father was right, it had been far too long since you’d spent time with him. His corny puns, his wacky stories, and his boasts. It made you almost forget why you were being tense around him.

“Ah yes,” he speared a cut of his steak, “almost forgot to pass along a message from Fredrick. He’ll be here in about a week, says he’s really sorry he didn’t come home sooner. Apparently there were some last minute certification delays with the government, But,” he said as he chewed “I’m sure you’ve got nearly everything under control. By the time he arrives, all he’ll need is a tux fitting, a low key bachelor party, and you’ll both be good to go!”

A waitress, dressed prim and proper poured both of you some wine. It was hard to ignore the way your father stared just a touch too intently at her form fitting dress as she bent slightly to pour you a glass. 

When she had slipped out of sight, he chuckled, “there’s one thing I miss about Japan, the ladies…” he stared into space for a little bit, before shaking his thoughts. You definitely did not want to know what he had been thinking.   
“So, you’ve probably been a busy bee, for the past few months, you must be grateful that your big day is almost here, and that your mother is finally off your case.”

“Yes… about that.” you wiped your mouth politely with a napkin, before taking a deep breath. It was time. It should have been done a long time ago, but it was now or never. Your father picked up on the change of tone and paused, his forkful of lobster halfway to his mouth.

“I… I don’t think I can go through with this.”

The only sound, aside from the distant murmurs of other diners outside your room, was a sharp  _ CLINK _ as the seafood loaded fork clattered on the plate.

“Pardon?” he asked, unbelieving.

“I don’t think I can marry Fredrick.” you repeated. This was the moment, the cat was out of the bag, and you forced yourself to continue, refusing to meet your father’s dumbfounded gaze. “There’s nothing wrong with him, he hasn’t hurt me, or cheated on me, but I can’t see him as the man I would spend the rest of my life with, let alone raise a family, or run a business. I… I just don’t think we have what it takes…”

After a few moments of agonizing silence, and you grew the balls to look up at him.

He was just staring at you, before breaking out in laughter. 

Your hands, currently on your lap, balled up into fists as he just threw back his head in uproarious cackling. Here you were, practically baring your soul to the man you trusted most in this world, and he had the fucking gall to laugh?

“Oh man,” he said, wiping up a stray tear, “Sweetheart, of all the jokes you could tell me, this is one of the more creative ones.” He was on attempt number two for the forkful of lobster.

“It’s not a joke, dad! I’ve never been so serious in my life! I’ve been thinking all these past few months,” you tried to keep your voice down, but your emotions, once held back by a dam, were now breaking through, “and I really believe getting married, right now, to this man is the wrong thing for both me and him.”

“Sweetheart,” your father crooned like you were a tantruming toddler, which made it even more infuriating, “I know what you’re feeling.”

“Then you agree?” you asked hopefully.

“You’re getting cold feet. It happens to a lot of newlyweds. Hell, it happened to me and your mom.”

“Yeah, and now you guys can’t stand to be in the same room as each other, so” you spread out your hands in a ‘duh’ motion. “I think that proves my point.”

Your father’s face darkened. “You have no idea what’s at stake here, how many connections will just be snapped in half if this wedding doesn’t go through. I’ve made so many deals, so many business negotiations with Fredrick’s family. All hinging on this one ceremony. Do you want to take all the hard work I’ve done and throw it all away?”   
“But-”

“And think what it will do to our family’s reputation, your reputation!?” He slammed the fork down, jostling the dishes on the table, causing you to jerk in surprise. It had been a long time since you had seen him angry, and frankly, it kinda scared you. “Your mother is going to be heartbroken, she’s wanted this to be the perfect wedding for you. And your bridesmaids! They look to you for leadership. Are you going to be the one to let them down, to have them think of you as the lady that was too cowardly to take that final step. And Fredrick! Are you willing to be remembered by him as the woman who broke his heart?”

“I-” you couldn’t respond. You had expected resistance to your decision, but not outright hostility. And as much as you hated to admit it, your father was right. This wedding, this marriage, it wasn’t just about you, it never had been. And as much as you tried to fight it, the damage you would cause by breaking this off would be catastrophic.

“Look”, your father’s voice returned to its gentle tone, “Don’t think I don’t care about you, nothing further could be from the truth, it’s just that I’ve been in your shoes before, and  _ I know what’s best for you…” _

“Dad…” you whispered, your eyes blurry from unwept tears, as your father slowly got up and walked to your side of the table, before wiping your eyes delicately with his napkin.

“Now, now,” he murmured as he smiled, “this is supposed to be a happy time. If it puts your mind at ease, I can have my lawyer draft you up an iron-clad prenup. That way, if things go pear shaped, you’ll be covered. But you said it yourself, Fredrick is a very nice man, and if I had the slightest inkling that he would hurt you, I would have never let him even meet you.” He knelt down, and placed both of his hands on your cheeks, “Just trust me...trust in yourself. You can do this.”

And that was it, you broke down in tears, the months of stress making you crumble in your father’s arms. He hugged you close as he murmured soft reasurances into your crown. And you believed him. You needed to go through with this.

After a few minutes, you felt emptied, like a wet towel that had been put through the wringer. The emotional weight was gone, but instead of feeling relieved, you just felt...hollow. Your father slowly let go of you and made his way back to his side of the table, almost as if nothing had even happened. Your breathing had almost returned to normal, but there was still an ache in your chest, as if you had almost drowned.

“Now,” your father said, as he raised up his glass in a toast. “To a promising future”

You raised up yours, and repeated numbly, 

_ “To a promising future.” _

******

You’d returned home, tossed your heels into the closet and went straight to the washroom to clean off the makeup, once immaculate, now smeared on your face. The valet’s look of concern and pity was too much to bear, and you slipped him a hundred just for him to stop looking at you that way. 

It took several rinses to not only wash off the makeup, but to make your face look presentable to Vergil, to place that pleasant mask you had to wear for just a few more days. Checking your calendar, you assured yourself that in three days time, the full moon would appear, and the weather forecast had predicted clear skies. The stars...or in this case, the moon had aligned perfectly. All you needed now was to locate the damn sword. That would be easy though, the warehouse was the place Doctor Griffon kept his ‘research’, at the behest of your father, and there was a walk in safe there. You’d have to access security footage to make doubly sure, but if there was any place it could be, that would be it. You’d have to do the break in on the very night, to avoid any suspicion that a prison break was about to take place, but you had keys and knew codes. Just slip in, slip out, and drop Vergil off like he was a package. Simple.

It was actually making you feel better, as you typed on your laptop, with an oblivious Vergil chowing down on some ramen and a plateful of bacon nearby. The fact you had something that was 100 percent in your control, that you alone were responsible for, grounded you. 

You watched the security feed, as the Good Doctor got ready to leave for the day. He was placing manilla folders in a filing cabinet located in the safe, its dim light making it hard to see-wait, there it was. Leaning against it, there was the familiar long slender case, unmistakable due to its size and shape. Doctor Griffon, obviously satisfied with his work for the day, looked to be whistling as he left. It would be a cinch to do this.

You closed the laptop, and looked up at Vergil, who was watching you with interest.

“How was your dinner?” he asked as he slurped up the last of the noodles.

“Pretty good, all things considered,” you lied. It was getting easier and easier to do. “Fredrick should be showing up next week, so all I gotta do is finish up the final touches, and…” either the wine or the play acting was affecting you, because your head was starting to ache.

“Are you alright, Sifa?” his voice seemed to take the pain away, slightly.

“Just tiredness, I suppose. All this planning has been keeping me up at night.”   
“Would you like me to sing?” he offered, and you were disinclined to accept, before your tiredness changed your mind.

“That would be very kind of you to do so, your singing is very soothing to me.”

He almost looked as if he was beaming as he opened his mouth to sing, his voice taking an echoy quality in the open space.

_ Isil shem’ore _

_ Isil lin’ore _

_ Mira pharar, mira ofar, mira kanar, _

_ D’rashana karif’ore _

_ Isil dilshonin sa oplalim _

_ Sa kintal o sa polim _

_ Sa racarto shipal o sa whelik _

_ Nekalin parand’ore fa pishim _

_ Ah, mira sifa, mira sifa _

_ Winik fa pishim lin’more. _

And as your mind slowly became comfortably numb to the day’s events, you idly wondered to yourself,  _ Strange, I thought this was an ode to the Sun? _

******

_ You weren’t quite sure what was more painful, the driving rain that beat into your exposed body like hail, or your fingertips as they clung to the craggy rock, being cut to ribbons as you lost and regained your grip on sharp edges.  _

_ Or maybe it was the gale-force winds screaming as they whipped around you, through you like knives of ice. Strange, the winds did not howl or scream, as winds ought to do. No that would have been preferable to what you heard. Snatches of voices, reminding you of your failures, of your shortcomings… _

_ “Will you now….make me the luckiest man in the world?” _

_ “I understand you're eager to put all your knowledge to good use, but you deserve a break” _

_ “It doesn't speak, they don't have the intelligence to” _

_ “Never satisfied with their lot in life, they take, and take, and take…” _

_ “Look, my father said that was usually the reserve of the ladies, and you're getting a top notch wedding planner, so how hard could it be?” _

“ _ But you do not love him.” _

_ “This is YOUR day, you need to go all out! With luck, this will be the most important day of your life.”  _

_ “This is supposed to be YOUR day, you shouldn’t be such a doormat” _

_ “You don’t just call anyone Sifa, it's a fairly dedicated term, and Vergil wouldn’t just call you that if he didn’t mean it.”  _

_ “Sifa” _

_ Out of nowhere you felt a calming presence holding you, protecting you from the brunt of the storm, but it still didn’t block out everything. But it was so comforting, so you relaxed for just a moment. That was a mistake, as your bloody fingertips slipped off the rock, and you began sliding into the churning waters below. _

**_“SIFA!”_ **

You awoke, gasping for air, hands gripping on nothing before you realized it had just been a nightmare, no doubt caused by the day’s events. You must have dozed off to Vergil’s singing, right there on the platform. Speaking of which… the only thing that remained of the dream was the sensation of being held…. 

Clammy webbed hands held you, ever so gently, around your waist, and spreading wetness was at your back. Usually, you’d find the coldness to be unpleasant, but instead, it felt… comforting. A stream of unintelligible soft words were being murmured into the back of your neck.   
“Vergil?” you hesitatingly asked.

“A nightmare, nothing more, Mira Sifa.” you felt his breath still momentarily, “it was the only way I could think of to calm you down, I will go, if you desire…”

What you SHOULD have done was to thank him graciously, but then get up, wish him goodnight and plod off to much needed sleep. You SHOULD not encourage these feelings you had for him, nor his for you. You SHOULD not endanger the new chapter of your life that was about to begin.   
But tonight….tonight, SHOULDS could go to hell. Tonight, you would be selfish, and you snuggled into his arms, earning a soft intake of breath as he continued to hold you, to softly sing you back into sleep, into dreams as calm as the waters beside you.

_ Ah, Mira Sifa, Mira Sifa….. _

_ Winik fa pishim lin’more? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um... yeah. This is probably the second most emotionally intense chapter in this story. 
> 
> Two chapters to go!


	12. Living on Borrowed Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mild descriptions of blood.

_ 10:56PM _

_ He looks so peaceful _ , you thought to yourself as you watched him doze off that night. He was floating gently, with only his tail moving slowly to keep him from drifting too far up to the surface, or too far down to the floor. It fascinated a part of you, of how his people had adapted to live in such a starkly different world than yours. Another part of you was enthralled by his culture, the way his kind lived, interacted, their stories, songs, customs.

And yet, there was yet another part of you, the part that had grown to like him, and then to love him, who knew this couldn’t last. You needed to set him free, and in an hour, you’d finally have the way to do so.

You thanked your lucky stars that you had not, in your ignorance, attempted to free him earlier. You would have never forgiven yourself if you had inadvertently cursed him to a fate worse than death. Perhaps being a meek, indecisive person had finally been a source of good.

But there was no indecisiveness now, no meekness. You had a job to do, and by the Tidemother, you’d see it to its completion, no matter if it broke your heart.

Of course, Vergil had been completely left in the dark in all of this, you’d seen to that. You’d kept up the facade of being a happy, excited bride to be, blaming your bouts of silence and furrowed brows on ‘just being nervous’ about the upcoming nuptials. And he’d bought it hook, line, and sinker.

You placed your hand on the glass, as you once did when you two first met, but this time there would be no reciprocating hand on the other side. It was probably better this way.

You quickly put on your jacket, keys at your hip, and codes in your head, and you slipped out into the late spring night.

_ It’ll be all over soon, Vergil. _

  
  


_ 11:17PM _

You pulled up to the deserted building with some relief. In your haste to get out, you’d forgotten to check the security feed one last time. But it seemed okay, no one was there, and the closest person who could be alerted to the break in was your father, and he was coming home from a business meeting, and wouldn’t be back until early morning.

Still, you fumbled a bit as you picked out the correct key. Part of you wished you had had drank something, like Sarah had once suggested, to settle your nerves, but you reminded yourself you couldn’t afford being pulled over for impaired driving tonight. 

You made your way through the darkened building, before reaching the safe door. This is where your family kept its most priceless documents, artwork, financial statements, and heirlooms. Placing your finger on the scanner, you waited as the computer analyzed your fingerprint, and it registered you as a family member. Once it recognized your biometrics, it asked for a six digit passcode.

After a moment’s hesitation, you punched it in, knowing that it was logging your entry into the safe. That’s why you had to do it tonight, and the plan had to go flawlessly, you’d never get another chance at this once your father checked the security logs.

And once he did? What’s the worst he could do? Call off your wedding? You laughed at the thought. After this was done, there was nothing your father could do, if he didn’t want to endanger his precious business deals that hung off this wedding. So doing this would cost you nothing…

_ Save for your happiness. _

The hiss of air as hydraulics opened the seal, like some 80’s sci-fi movie, and the buzz of fluorescent lights buzzing to life as they lit up one by one. You cautiously made your way, pausing as you approached an old painting of your great grandfather, currently being kept here until a restorer could fix the frame and touch up the varnish. Would he be disappointed at what you were doing? You forced yourself to walk past him, your target next to the metal filing cabinet. 

There, leaning against it was that damned briefcase, with locked clasps. Well, you might not have the key or code to unlocking that, but you did have something more versatile: your jackknife. Slipping the blade under the clasp, you applied pressure, and with a loud metallic  _ CLINK _ that echoed throughout the space, the lock cracked. Taking a deep breath, you opened the case…

There, surrounded in custom cut  polyurethane, was the most beautiful weapon you’d ever seen. Dante’s sword might have exuded strength and power, but this...this practically radiated precision and discipline. The saya was made of the finest blue lacquered wood...but not just any wood. It gave off the distinct smell of being at the beach...driftwood. You’d never thought something as worn and rough as that could be carved into something so gorgeous.

Wrapped around it and the tsuba was a sageo, but instead of rope, it was some sort of seaweed, finely woven. And despite this weapon being trapped in dry stale air, it was still as flexible as if it had just come out of the ocean.  _ How odd.  _ There was so much you didn’t understand about mer culture, whether they were capable of magic, or if it could be easily explained by science.

Your hand grazed against the tsuba, inlaid with mother of pearl that gleamed even in the harsh artificial light. You felt a spark, not unpleasant, but strong enough to know it wasn’t just in your head. A warning? Slowly, you placed your hand around it, and now you could swear it was humming. Taking a deep breath, you gripped a bit tighter, and with a smooth motion that you’d not expected, you expertly unsheathed the blade, with only a whisper as it left the confines of its saya.

Transfixed by it, you raised it up, to closer marvel at the metal work. It was unlike any smithwork you’d ever seen, with possibly only the finest Damascus Steel coming close to it. Ripples and waves, like an oily sheen, coated the metal, and you could have sworn that the patterns slowly changed.

You marveled at how unblemished the metal was, your reflection on it’s mirror-like surface, the reflection of your great-grandfather’s portrait, the reflection of Doctor Griffon.

_ Wait, what? _

You turned around suddenly, to come face to face with the Good Doctor himself, his arms crossed, and a very fake smile plastered onto his face.

“My dear,” he slimely said, “I suppose it was a good thing that I forgot some of my papers tonight, because imagine my surprise when I came back to pick it up, and I came across a thief, stealing not gold, nor gems, but something much more priceless; my life’s work.”

“Steal!?” you questioned, “Strange, I could have sworn that this,” your eyes motioned to the weapon, “wasn’t yours to begin with.”

The bastard dropped the facade of fake friendliness. “You, a spoiled rich girl, coming in to dictate how I use my resources. I already gave up my access to Subject Angelo for the desperately needed financial aid your father provided, all so that his little girl” he practically spat out the insult, “could have it as a pet. But no, that wasn’t enough for her, she wants to steal the one thing that could get me into every single prestigious scientific journal in the world, to usurp my place as the preeminent expert on Merkind.”

“What?” You were perplexed. The man was so up his scientific ass, he had just assumed your attempt at a prison break was actually a burglary for his stupid reasearch. 

“You’ve got the wrong idea…” you tried to explain, knowing it was fruitless, but it didn’t matter, he cut you off.

“Oh I know exactly what you’re up to, I haven’t spent four decades being mocked by my peers in the scientific community to be that naive. I know how they backstab each other for the merest crumb of success. Now hand me back the weapon.” his hand reached out, as if he was a disappointed parent who caught his child with their hand in the cookie jar.

“ _ Never,”  _ you hissed, and his face turned a dark shade of red.   
“Of course, ‘daddy’s little girl’ has never been told no,” he practically growled, and he lunged towards you. “I won’t give my life’s work to some know-nothing rich bitch”

You dropped the saya as you barely evaded his attack, his fists missing your face by a hair. Yamato buzzed dangerously in your hand, and you placed both hands around the tsuba, almost instinctively. You brought it up in a pale imitation of a Samurai pose, the tip shaking noticeably.

Griffon now snarled and attacked again in almost animalistic rage, and this time you dodged more easily, as if you were being guided by an unseen hand. 

Unfortunately, the doctor still blocked the way between you and the exit, so you would have to play this bullfighting game until you had an opening, and then make a run for it. But right now, he had you pinned, the portrait frame digging at your back. In this cramped space, you’d have only the tiniest bit of time to avoid the attack. He seemed to notice as well, as with a maniacal grin, he yanked an antique brass candelabra from one of the shelves, and after smacking it into his hand to test its weight, he struck. 

You had no space, no time to move, so you brought up Yamato in a futile attempt to block, but then there was the sound of rushing wind, the smell of sea salt, and the sound of ripping fabric.

For the briefest of moments, you stood confused. You’d somehow escaped from being bludgeoned. But what was strange was your position. You hadn’t moved, and yet it was if you and the doctor’s places had switched. You stood back to back, both of you stunned.

“What the-” the Doctor started to say, but you didn’t let him finish. Your hands fluidly moved, manipulating the tsuba of yamato as if you had practiced decades with it, twirling the weapon around, and without even glancing, you thrust the blade backwards. It hit resistance, but something in you continued pushing, before the pushback stopped, letting the blade move quickly.

Immediately, the scent of copper filled your nostrils, and warmth sprayed at your back, and as you were released from whatever mysterious force had taken control of you, you heard the sound of the candelabra clattering to the ground. You turned around, already knowing what you had done, but forcing yourself to face it.

Doctor Griffon was still facing away from you looking down, as if he was admiring the disfigured face of your ancestor. A long gash marred your great grandfather’s face, caused by the edge of the candlestick. His arms now dropped slack. And sticking out of his back, like a pearl in a pile of refuse, was Yamato’s tsuba. Blood had sprayed everywhere, including the painting. He was making a strange gurgling sound.

Panicking, you gripped the katana, yanking it out of his torso before his legs could buckle out from underneath him. 

As you did so, he fell backwards, nearly bowling you over with his dead weight. Blood smeared your shirt, your face, everywhere, as you frantically attempted to stop the bleeding. You took off your jacket, planning to somehow stem the blood flow, but already his skin had gone unnaturally pale. To your growing horror, you realized he wasn’t going to make it.

And then the Doctor chuckled, punctuated by wet coughs, “Ironic,” and his blue tinged lips formed into a smile, “my life’s work...leading to my death”

And with that, his head rolled to the side, and the cruel light in his eyes faded.

So there you sat, with the body of the man you hated more than anything, the man you had just killed. Perhaps some mysterious power of Yamato had guided your hands, but the fact remained, your hands were responsible for the taking of another person’s life. And just the thought of what you had done caused such a flurry of emotions, and then… you vomited on the cool cement floor.

Between heaves, you sobbed. You’d just done something you’d never thought in a million years thought that you’d do, and the guilt was threatening to drive you mad. You mentally grasped the one thing that was your sole thing to ground you: rescuing Vergil. You had to save him, and only after that, could you focus on whatever happened next. One step at a time…

Grabbing Yamato and it’s saya, you wiped your mouth, and quickly left the safe, leaving the blood spattered body, and the desecrated portrait of your great-grandfather behind.

******

You sat in the driveway in your home, car door open, attempting to spit out the taste of bile and vomit out of your mouth. But only for about a minute. The clock was ticking, and that little stunt you had pulled with the deceased doctor had cost you valuable time. You checked your clock.

_ 11:30 PM _

You had no doubt that Dante would linger as long as possible at the rendezvous point, but still, you wanted to get this done and over with as fast as possible. Taking a deep breath, you steeled yourself and, leaving the car running, you walked into your home.

Vergil was awake, and seemed agitated. Did he somehow know via Yamato what had happened? His agitation turned to outright panic the moment he saw you, and it took a moment to remember you were coated in blood, now quickly drying into a rusty red into your clothes.

“Oh don’t worry,” you assured him, masking your own emotional turmoil with faux cheerfulness. “It’s not MY blood”

It didn’t assure Vergil at all, who looked even more horrified.

You scaled the platform steps as quickly as possible, as he swam up to meet you. “You don’t have to worry about that damn doctor anymore, he’ll never hurt you again.”

“Sifa, what did you do...”

“Added bonus too, I got you a gift,” you chirped, ignoring his question, “well, technically it’s not a gift if it originally belonged to the giftee… but let’s just say I managed to retrieve a lost item,” and you thrust the katana into his arms.

Vergil gently grabbed it, dumbfounded, before clutching it close to his chest. It almost looked like he was communing with it, just like with the amulet. 

As touching as this reunion scene was, you both didn’t have time to enjoy it. Without warning, you quickly gripped him around his arms, and thanks to your weeks of practice, you swung him into a bridal style hold. He had only time to give out an undignified squawk of protest, before he swung his free arm around your neck to steady himself. As you did so, you felt your engagement ring loosen, slip… and then fall off. You’d retrieve it later, if you had the opportunity.

“Now,” you said, carrying him to you car “let’s get you home”

Behind you, the pink diamond studded gold ring sank to the bottom of the tank, settling into the sand.

******

Ordinarily you’d have some tunes playing out of the radio, but it was silent.

_ 11:43 PM _

You glanced at the clock as you drove down the deserted road, with only the full face of the Tidemother as witness. Vergil, buckled in securely in the passenger seat, caressed Yamato like it was a long lost pet that recently came home. Eventually, out of the corner of your eye, you saw a blue flash, and a brief burst of salt air, before you noticed the blade was gone.

“How did you know?” he finally said, attempting to get comfortable in what was no doubt an interesting position for him.

“If I tell you, will you promise not to hurt your brother?” you responded, your eyes never leaving the road. Only a few more minutes, just needed to cross the bay’s suspension bridge, and then a side road to the beach.

“Of course, Dante would put you up to this” he muttered.

“He didn’t.”

“Pardon?” you didn’t have to look to see the shock on his face.

“This was my plan, he just gave me the final information to put this into motion. Mind you, I wasn’t going into this with the intent of anyone dying, but...well…” you looked at your hand gripping the wheel, still covered in flakes of the Doctor’s dried blood. Another wave of nausea threatened to blow up, but you managed to keep it down. Besides it didn’t seem like there was anything left in your stomach to vomit.

“Why?”

“What?”

“Why do this?” he asked.

“Seriously Vergil, you’re asking me why I set a man free who had been imprisoned for over a year? A guy who constantly tells me how much he misses the goddamn ocean?” your temper was beginning to get the better of you, and it took more and more effort to remain calm. “The question SHOULD be, why didn't YOU tell ME? Even in the beginning, if you had just said what you needed to go home, I would have gotten your soul-weapon for you. I would have done ANYTHING to get you back home. Did you not trust me?”

“In the beginning…” Vergil started out slowly, his breathing a bit erratic, “I suppose trust was an issue, with what I had already endured….”

“But afterwards, after we got to know each other, when I thought we could learn to trust each other? Why not then…?”

“Things...had changed…” he hesitantly replied.

_ Just admit you had feelings for me, dammit, _ your mind screamed,  _ that you didn’t want to leave me, the woman who imprisoned you, the daughter of the guy who killed your parents. _ The thought of someone in that situation loving the person you were was confounding.

_ Ah, but you haven’t been truthful about your feelings either, _ another voice in your mind chided you, _ for all intents and purposes, he has no clue about your feelings about him, so you have only yourself to blame for the pain you are about to cause _ .

_ 11:51 PM _

“Sifa…”

“Stop.”

“Pardon?”

“Stop calling me that, please,” you attempted to blink the tears away. “When we get to the ocean, your brother will be there waiting, you’re going to go with him, preferably without fighting him. He’s going to take you somewhere far, far, away, I don’t know where, and frankly it would be better if I don’t. I’m just going to ask you to do one thing.”

“Anything.”

“Forget this. Forget me.  _ Forget us. _ ”

There was complete silence as Vergil sat staring at you, in complete shock. You might have well asked him to serve you a piece of the Dawnfather on a plate, judging by his reaction. After a few moments of stunned stillness, he faced forward, and sighed.

“I...I… cannot.”

The tears fell down your cheeks, and the streetlights became nothing more than blurry halos lighting the deserted road as you finally approached the bridge. 

“You’re crying.”

“Great observation!” you gritted out sarcastically, cursing yourself for lashing out. He hadn’t done anything to deserve your ire.

“You ask me to forget you, but I…”

“Your brother should be nearby, can you feel him with your amulet?” you cut him off. You didn’t want to hear him admit that he loved you, because it took all of your willpower to maintain your plans. It would be too painful to say goodbye in any other case.

Vergil paused, taken aback, before nodding in resignation. “Yes, he is close.”

“Good, something is going right tonight at least”

“What about you?” he queried, concerned. “You have blood on your hands, literally and figuratively speaking, and you humans do not look kindly on that,” his brow furrowed, “even if I think he deserved far worse” he muttered.

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll deal with the fallout.”

“I still care abo-”

He didn’t get the chance to finish, as a bright light from behind, temporarily blinded you. Some idiot was driving with his hi-beams on, and was now tailgating you, as if he…

_ Oh no… _

You recognized the car, even in the darkness.  Mercedes-Benz E-class. The preferred car of…

The vehicle pulled up alongside you, the driver’s side window down, and to your horror, your fears were confirmed…

_ Your father. _

The man began waving at you in the universal sign to pull over. In response, you gave him the universal sign to mind his own business. And then you slammed down on the gas, accelerating away. You could hear the sound of creaking leather as Vergil gripped on the seat, no doubt alarmed at the speed you were going.

_ Shit, as if things couldn’t get worse, _ you thought as you did as your father was left behind momentarily, before speeding up to match you.  _ He must have gotten home early and found out the security alert. And he must have checked the video footage, and put two and two together. Shit, shit shit….” _

You were halfway across the bridge, less than two kilometres away lay freedom for Vergil, all you had to do was get there…

**BUMP**

You and your passenger were jostled. You looked at your indicators, to figure out if you had blown a tire or something when 

**BUMP**

And then you realized your father was attempting to run you off the road. Was he crazy? The lights glowed in your rearview mirror.

**BUMP**

And this time, the hit was strong enough that you lost control, and when you attempted to correct, you inadvertently overcorrected, causing you to fishtail in an increasingly erratic manner, eventually turning into a full blown spin out.

Eventually, you realized that you had no control over the car, and you let go of the steering wheel and gas, hoping you’d just straighten out, but the car kept spinning…

“VERGIL! HOLD ON!” You screamed as you spun towards the concrete median. You closed your eyes and went limp.

_ 11:55PM _

That was the time on the clock before the entire electrical system shut off. You pushed away the rapidly deflating airbags, wincing at the pain in your shoulder. It wasn’t a sharp pain, but it still hurt like a bitch. 

A dribble of blood leaked from your nostril, but only a dull throbbing pain, so to your relief, it was probably just a bloody nose.

“Vergil!” you called out, fearful for the worst. You shoved aside the fabric to see to your relief a conscious, if a bit dazed merman. He was bleeding from the mouth, and had a few cuts on his face and torso from the shattered glass, but they quickly faded away.

“I’m… I am fine” he said, as he licked the blood off his lip, “what about you?”

“Not important right now,” you quickly scanned the bridge. There would be no way to carry Vergil to the beach now, it was much too far. Tears began to form in your eyes, you’d been so fucking close!

And then… as you felt as if you were about to give up, you looked at the guardrail of the bridge, a mere twelve metres away from the vehicle.  _ Perhaps….. _

Pulling out your jackknife, you began to saw through Vergil’s seatbelt, before pulling him out of the now crumpled up passenger seat. You winced slightly at the pain in your shoulder as you carried him, but the adrenaline would be enough to deal with it. 

“Change of plans, Vergil” you said as you began to carry towards the metal guardrail. “Prepare to dive.” Part of you was secretly thankful. At least this way, the parting would be quick and painless.

Three metres away, a loud  **_BANG_ ** rang out, and sparks sprayed far too close to you. Instinctively, you spun around, to find the source of the sound, and came face to face with your father, shakily pointing a pistol at you.

“Dad….” you shouldn’t have been surprised, the man had nearly killed you by trying to stop your car. But still, this is the man who raised you, loved you, cherished you. How could he do something like this? Or maybe… maybe you’d just assumed he had. Or had he just looked at you as an investment, a stock portfolio that he needed to increase its worth?   
“Sweetheart, please don’t…” your father’s voice brokenly begged, “You don’t know what damage that creature will do if it’s set free. Our family company barely broke even with all the repairs from what it has done.”

“So you’re totally okay with imprisoning him? To experiment on him!?” You yelled back in anger. Vergil stiffened against you.

“Look, is this about what happened to Doctor Griffon?” your father asked, totally missing the point. “Look, don’t worry, I can take care of everything! The police won’t ever have to know! I won’t let them arrest you!”

“Really, you think that I’m doing this because of that bastard?” you spat out. Your rage and adrenaline could only mask the growing pain in your shoulder, and you struggled to keep Vergil steady.

“I don’t want you to get hurt, sweetheart!”

“YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I WANT!” You screamed at him, and you could see the growing fear in your father’s eyes. “ALL THAT EVER MATTERED TO YOU WAS YOUR GODDAMN COMPANY! YOU DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT ME, YOUR OWN FUCKING DAUGHTER, YOU JUST WANT WHAT’S BEST FOR YOUR LEGACY! MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE HAS JUST BEEN A WAY FOR YOU TO GROW YOUR GODDAMN BUSINESS!” Finally expelling the long contained rage and bile you’d held back for years, no decades, felt so good. 

You calmed down a bit, “I’ll deal with the consequences of my actions on my own… and you can deal with yours.”

And with that, you turned back around and continued your way to the guardrail, disregarding your father’s orders and threats to stop. You were confident he’d never have the balls to shoot you. He might not care about you as his daughter, but he wouldn’t risk his ‘investment’ anymore than he had already done.

Two more metres to go, when another shot rang out, and you felt a blinding white hot pain in your lower back, and you stumbled forward a bit from the agony. Your eyesight blacked out about momentarily, and you felt yourself hit cool metal. 

Only the soft voice of Vergil calling your name was enough to bring you back. In all the months you had known him, he’d never called you by your name. “What’s wrong?” he asked with fear, something you’d never heard in his voice.

Your body began to feel numb, starting at your fingertips, but there was a growing warm wetness blooming from your stomach. And the realization hit you, you’d been shot, and you were going to die.

Leaning against the guardrail, you chuckled. Of course, your father, who had practically dictated every thing about your life, would choose the manner of your death. At least, you could choose one thing. Your final action.

“Farewell,  _ Sifa _ …” you managed to force out, despite the pain, and the shortness of breath.

  
  
  


And with his shock at what you had just said, his grip loosened, giving you the opportunity to jostle him loose, and he fell into the moonlit darkness. You could hear him hitting the water, then after a few moments of tense silence, the sloshing of water, and to your relief, you heard Vergil, screaming your name. He’d made it unharmed... and now you prayed that he would swim far, far away.

You clutched your stomach, instinctively trying to stop the blood flow, but even you knew it was fruitless. You were only delaying the inevitable.

Another voice from behind you called your name as well. Using the guardrail to prop you up, you slowly turned around to see your father running towards you, terror in his eyes.

“Sweetheart, I’m so, so, sorry...I was trying to shoot a warning shot! I just… I just got so nervous! Don’t worry! I’m going to call an ambulance, you’re going to pull through this. Please, just stay with me!” One hand on his cellphone, he reached out to steady you with the other, to slowly guide you to the ground

You were wrong. You still had one more choice you could make, how you would die. It was morbidly funny. You’d discovered the existence of merfolk over twenty years ago when you had almost drowned. And now you could pay for living on borrowed time by returning to the ocean. With your last bit of energy, your hand carrying the jackknife swung out, slicing your father’s palm. He pulled back in pain, out of instinct and you used the moment to lean back over the guardrail. With a contented smile on your face, you felt the rushing of wind.

You fell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. Um. Not sure what I can say about this. I'm sorry?


	13. A Farewell Duet

The impact of the water didn’t hurt as much as you had feared it would, you thought. Nor did the chilliness of the late spring seawater seem to bother you. Possibly it was because of the way you had fallen, without bracing for impact. Perhaps the remnants of the adrenaline coursing through your system that dulled the pain and cold. Or maybe it was the bullet that ripped through your spine.

_Oh, that’s right, you were dying._

You were strangely calm about the whole ordeal. There was no thrashing, no panicking, just you slowly drifting, limp in the calm sea. If you opened your eyes you probably could have seen the rays of the full moon flickering through the slightly cloudy water. No doubt there would be a tinge of red from the blood pouring out of your body, so you kept them shut, to maintain the illusion that you were just drifting off to a peaceful sleep.

You idly mused at your life. You’d been blessed, you’d spent your adulthood studying the subject you’d adored since childhood, you had loved your friends, your teachers, and your family. It had been a good life, and you hoped you felt you had lived it to the fullest.

Of course, you had regrets. You wished you had broken off your engagement, that you hadn’t strung Fredrick along. You wish you stood up to your father, your mother when they put their aspirations on you. You wished you had taken Sarah’s advice and just grown a spine (and perhaps it wouldn’t be severed right now, you morbidly mused).

And Vergil…. Oh Vergil. Strangely, you didn’t regret ever meeting him. You didn’t even regret not even freeing him the moment you met him. Nor did you regret falling in love with him.

No, you thought to yourself as the now familiar feel of burning lungs became louder, more insistent. Your main regret is that you never told him your true feelings. You should have been honest, should have told him how much you cared about him, how much you… you loved him.

And now thanks to your meekness, he was most likely watching you dying. 

_"Come on bro, we need to get out of here!"_

_"Not yet, not without her!"_

_"She bought you your freedom! I'm not going to lose you again!"_

_"And I am not going to lose her!"_

_V"ERGIL!"_

You felt the water pressure change and arms snake around your waist, before cautiously hovering over your wound.

_"It is not healing....why is it not healing?"_

You wanted to answer him, to tell him that wounds like this usually lead to death, that you would have done it again and again, a million times to set him free.

You wanted to tell him you had lived, and were ready to die with no regrets. 

You wanted to tell him how much you loved him....

But alas, fate was cruel, and in your watery tomb, you could say nothing. You couldn't bear to open your eyes to see the pain you were inflicting on him.

Gently, you felt your cheeks being held by webbed hands, and you were surprised by the warmth.

_"Please...don't leave me."_

And then.... a sensation on your lips. Your oxygen deprived mind thought he was attempting to give you mouth to mouth, in a futile attempt to save you.... until you realized.

Vergil was kissing you.

It was soft, gentle, and as his hands dropped down to hold you, you could feel the faint trembles in his otherwise strong limbs. He tasted of sea salt, of ocean air, fresh and renewing, and you felt like you could will this moment to never end. 

And then, your arms, fueled by a sudden surge of energy, gripped his waist, pressing your body around him to embrace him, to never let him go.

And as you did so, you felt a warmth fill your limbs, tingles of electricity racing from your fingertips to your arms, your chest and down your legs, to the tips of your toes. You had never felt so vibrant, so...alive. Is this what it was to truly be in love? Your senses felt expanded, like you could hear the shiftings of the tectonic plates, the pulse in your heart, the crashing of waves on distant shores. 

Ironic, you thought, to feel so alive when on the cusp of death. To be in the arms of the man you treasured most above everything, only for him to lose you.

You felt his hands cup your face again with angelic softness, and yet you could feel every ridge on those fingertips. You swore you felt a slightly raised scar on the palm of his hand, one that healed over so many months ago.

_"Open your eyes, Sifa."_

You opened them and gasped. Despite the darkness of the night, you could see everything for what seemed like miles, swelling surface above to the churned up mud of the sea bed below. But nothing mattered compared to the man in front of you. He looked ethereal, and was so beautiful now that he was truly back where he belonged. He smiled at you, soft and gentle, and it took your breath away.

Wait… your breath?

Your lungs had stopped burning from lack of air. And really, the pain in your stomach from your wounds had completely vanished, as if it had never happened. You looked down, your hands cautiously creeping down your torso, expecting to come into contact with your own innards, but there was nothing, save for a blood soaked hole in your shirt. Underneath was unblemished skin.

And below that, where your legs ought to be….were scales. Pure white scales, with what was a mottling of sea green here and there, shiny and flawless, glittering like a scattering of polished jade. And at the end, white tail fins, translucent like a bridal veil.

_"What...what happened?"_ You thought, but it came out in a voice in your head, almost like Vergil’s.

You could feel Vergil’s soft chuckle reverberating through you, " _Did I not tell you once that bonding with a merfolk had inexplicable powers?"_ You felt his tail snake around yours, as he pulled you in for another kiss, this time with more passion, and you slung your arms around his shoulders. He twirled you around endlessly as you both nuzzled each other. You’d cry out of happiness right now, but the tears wouldn’t, or couldn’t flow. A small price to pay for such bliss.

_"I have longed for this day for what seemed like forever,"_ Vergil spoke. " _I was brave enough to face the humiliation of captivity, and yet I could not confess my love to you, mira Sifa, except in half truths and deceptions. Tonight, I have learned the folly of such things….I almost lost you."_   
He held you close in trembling arms, and you had never felt so safe, so free.

_'I.. I feared'_ he hesitated, ' _that in order to save you, I would rob you of your choice…"_   
To which you laughed and kissed his nose. 

_'I’m here, Vergil, and I want to be here. There is nowhere on earth or sea I would rather be, than at your side."_

_"Hey you two angelfish!"_ A voice rang out, drawing out an annoyed huff out of Vergil. _I think it’s time we make like a shoal, and migrate out of here._ Dante swam circles around you tWo, and made some sort of clicking at you that sounded kinda like a catcall. " _Lookin’ good, mudskipper!"_ He smirked at his brother, _"Verg, you certainly have mom’s way of reeling in a human…."_

_"Of course you would have to ruin a private moment."_ Vergil gruffed, and you giggled bashfully. You gave him a peck on the cheek, which was enough to diffuse the sour look on his face, and he pulled you in for another passionate kiss.

He sighed as he pulled away. " _As_ _much as I hate to admit it…_ _He does have a point, we must make haste. No doubt your actions will draw the attention of more humans-"_

And then you heard the strangest sound, like a crumpling of metal, and then a resounding sound of thunder as something heavy crashed through the surface. You gave an involuntary shriek, as both Dante and Vergil manifested their weapons, Vergil whipping you behind him as the large object slowed down, but continued to sink past the three of you. As it passed, you recognized it as its lights flickered, then shut off.

_“My car…”_

_“Was your father attempting to kill us?”_ Vergil asked, obviously alarmed.

You looked up at the surface. With your new enhanced senses, you could see much further, but looking through the surface in the middle of the night was beyond your abilities. Still, you knew that it hadn’t been an assasination attempt.

_“No, I think he’s trying to make it look like I drove off the bridge… to make it look like an accident.”_ You clung to Vergil, conflicted if you should surface, to tell your father that despite what he had done, he was stil- no… no he didn’t deserve it. You chose your path, and you would walk it, or swim it, to be more accurate. Your old life was to be left behind, this was your new future, with the man you truly loved. _“Let’s go,”_ you murmured as you held Vergil close. _“I’m ready to explore a whole new world, with you at my side…”_

And with his hand gently guiding you to start swimming in a steady rhythm. (It felt strange not having the legs to kick), the three of you began to swim into the deep depths, into a world that excited you to no end.

_****_

Sarah leaned back in the cool summer darkness, her sandaled feet resting on the sand, the rest of her laying on a quilted blanket. She was all alone on the beach, with only the distant crash of the waves on the sand audible from quite a distance away, even over the sound of the portable radio.

_"In business news,"_ the radio announcer reported, _"Shares for fishing giant Mundus Incorporated are nearly down fifty percent after reaching a record high of $79.15 a share three months ago. Investigations into alleged attacks of terrorism have been started, with two of their flagships, Shadow, and Nevan being reported as being capsized in what sources say are planned attacks. Authorities have been investigating to see if said attacks are related to the sinking of the Phantom that happened over a year ago. Thankfully, no casualties have been reported, but the toll on the company has been devastating. In tonight's business panel, we'll be bringing in some experts to discuss whether Mundus is suffering a run of bad luck, or...something more sinister. We attempted to reach out to the Founder of Mundus, but we received a reply from his lawyer, requesting privacy for him and his family, as they deal with the loss of th-"_

Sarah abruptly switched the channel to a station playing something a bit more upbeat. 

Three months, that's how long it had been since the accident that had claimed her best friend’s life. Sarah still hadn't fully processed the revelation that one morning, two weeks before she was going to be the maid-of-honour in what was about to be the social event of the summer, she received a phone call from Doc's mother. One of the smartest, kindest, most empathetic people she had ever met had driven off the railing of the suspension bridge that Sarah could see glittering over in the distance. The police had deemed it an accident, caused by a freak blowout of a tire. There had been rumours that alcohol had been involved, but Sarah dismissed them outright. Doc was far too responsible to ever drive under the influence, but there was that niggling worry that her body had never been recovered, only her car, sunk into the bottom of the bay.

And while it hurt to lose her, Sarah knew her pain couldn't compare to what her friend's fiance and father were feeling.

Fredrick had come home, after nearly a year away, shaken and sobbing. When she had seen him at the memorial, the grief and guilt was obviously apparent on his face.

"I should have come home sooner, I shouldn't have left her alone all this time..." he'd confessed, and Sarah felt sympathy for him. He was a good man, and perhaps he and Doc would have made a good married couple, given enough time. She recalled the last phone call she had with her friend, a week before her death.

_"Are you excited? Just a couple of more weeks to go!"_

_"Yeah," she seemed tired, and a bit out of it, but with all the last minute preparations going on, that was to be expected. "I just have one more plan I have to put into motion, and I'll be ready."_

_"Oh? Spill the beans!"_

_"Sorry, Sarah. This is something of a personal nature. Maybe later, when all is said and done, I'll let you in on the secret."_

And now she would never find out. 

If Fredrick was devastated, Doc's father was destroyed. He'd moved among the guests like a shambling corpse, pale and almost lifeless. He'd not even been able to deliver a short eulogy for his daughter, and had to be prompted to just greet the guests. To be fair, he'd just lost the light of his life, the one thing he'd treasured over anything in his life. The man was a bit controlling over his child’s choices, that was true, but there was no doubt that he loved his daughter, and that her death had killed something in him.

Sarah looked at two large bottles of sparkling wine that were embedded in the sand. One was unopened, and the other was half empty. They'd been intended to be a wedding gift for the lovely couple, but Sarah hadn't felt it was proper to give them out, so they'd stayed there in her cupboard for the past three months, waiting for a special occasion.

Her best friend's birthday seemed to be the moment Sarah was waiting for. Ordinarily, she'd have gone to the cemetery, and poured one out for her friend, but it felt like an empty gesture, especially since the grave was unoccupied. So, it seemed fitting to take the offering to the one thing her best friend loved the most: The ocean. 

_“And now for our Midnight Good News!”_ the chipper voice of the DJ exclaimed as the music ended. _“We at 94.3 always like to end your day with a spot of goodness, to remind you that despite what the Newscasts say, there’s a big wide world of happy endings. So tonight we bring you the heartwarming story of the crew of the Deep-Water Sub MINO, ‘Marine Investigative Nautical Observatory, and its sister sub, the TAURUS ‘Trawling Armoured Underwater Reef Unassisted Submarine’. For six terrifying hours, the crew of four scientists were stranded 13 thousand feet underwater, their engines stalled by a plume of superhot volcanic water that erupted unexpectedly. Just when it seemed that oxygen was running out, the engines seemed to come back online, and they floated back to the surface in a record one and a half hours. What’s even more amazing, when their engines were subsequently checked, it appeared they’d been rendered nonfunctional since about the original eruption, the hot water had deposited a rock hard crust on the propellers, rendering them useless. Chief Engineer Dr. Nicoletta Goldstein theorizes that they got lucky, and floated by a larger, but more gentle eruption of hot water that floated the subs to safety, but as there seemed to be quite a lot of damage to the measuring tools, so it’s just a wacky guess at the moment. We’ll have the Doctor on tomorrow morning’s show, sharing her extraordinary adventure. That’s it for tonight! From all of us at 94.3, we want to wish a happy ending to your day._

Sarah chuckled, her friend would have definitely loved that story. _Adventure in the deep sea was right up her alley_ , she thought as she turned off the radio, and took yet another swig of the bottle. It was now midnight, and it was time.

On unsteady feet, she slowly got off the blanket, and made her way across the silk soft sands toward the shoreline. On the horizon, the city's lights twinkled, reflecting off the gently swelling water, creating another skyscape of stars. It was the start of a new day, and aside from the painful memories, it was shaping up to be a wonderful one.

Despite the summer heat, the water was chilly as she walked into it, until the waves reached her knees.

Pulling off the foil, and using her swiss army knife, she yanked out the cork and after the initial stream of gas poured out, she paused, raised the bottle, and took a deep breath.

"Happy Birthday, Doc."

And with reverent steadiness, she poured the bubbling contents into the water, where sweet mixed with salty, where the fruit of the vine mixed with the blood of the earth, where an invention of man mixed with something that had been there since nearly the dawn of time. And as she did so, she sent a silent prayer to her friend's spirit, hoping that the wind and the waves would transport her message.

With her little ritual complete, she walked back to the blanket she, where she would sleep off her hangover. She might have not been as attuned to the ocean as her friend, but the gentle swell of waves had always helped her fall asleep.

One final swig of her bottle, and Sarah rested her head on a rolled up sweatshirt, and watched the stars.

Strange, there must be a party nearby or something, because above the gentle sound of wind and waves, she could hear an enchanting song coming through. She couldn't make out the words...perhaps opera?

_Isil shem’ore_

_Isil lin’ore_

_Mira pharar, mira ofar, mira kanar,_

_D’rashana karif’ore_

_Isil dilshonin sa oplalim_

_Sa kintal o sa polim_

_Sa racarto shipal o sa whelik_

_Nekalin parand’ore fa pishim_

_Ah, mira sifa, mira sifa_

_Winik fa pishim lin’more._

And then the song repeated, but this time another voice rang out, sweet as the wine she had just drank. This time, she could make out the words, layering as the man's voice finished a line.

Isil shem’ore

**To you I sing**

Isil lin’ore

**To you I give**

Mira pharar, mira ofar, mira kanar,

**My blade, my love, my soul,**

D’rashana karif’ore

**To bind myself to you**

_Isil dilshonin sa oplalim_

**_I would traverse the briny depths_ **

_Sa kintal o sa polim_

**_Brave the ice of the north,_ **

_Sa racarto shipal o sa whelik_

**_The blistering Sun of the South_ **

_Nekalin parand’ore fa pishim_

**_Anything to win your heart_ **

_Ah, mira sifa, mira sifa_

**_Ah, My Beloved, My Beloved_ **

_Winik fa pishim lin’more._

**_Will you give your heart to me?_ **

  
  
  


Strange, Sarah thought as she drifted off into sleep, the second voice sounded so like her best friend....perhaps it was the alcohol, but it was comforting to think that her friend was still out there, with her own happy ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that.... My story has ended. What started out a bit less than three months ago as some sort of crack fic, turned into a thirteen chapter work of love. Thank you to all that read and commented and kudo'd it! I'm glad you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! As a person who tends to not finish projects. I'm rather proud that I managed to complete this story.
> 
> Feel free to follow me on Tumblr for mostly Devil May Cry related stuff!
> 
> https://queenmuzz.tumblr.com/


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